The Canadian Lutheran - March/April 2017 by The Canadian Lutheran

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CANADIAN

LUTHERAN

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Volume 32 Number 2

Forsake Me Not, O God of My Salvation

For many small-scale farmers like Berzegen Yimam in northern Ethiopia, the frequency and severity of drought conditions can make it difficult for them to feed their families. As the secretary of a watershed conservation committee in Lalibela, Ethiopia, Berzegen has seen firsthand the difference that investing in irrigation systems and watershed conservation makes. “Before there was only one permanent spring in the area,” she says. “Now there are three.” Berzegen has also been trained as a project surveyor. She’s responsible for

making sure the various conservation structures are level and able to stop the process of soil erosion. Through these conservation efforts, and the provision of agricultural and marketing training, small-scale farmers are seeing an increase in their food production and incomes. Your support makes this possible. Visit clwr.org today to make a donation in support of small-scale farmers.

“You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.” Psalm 65:9

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Contents Features www.canadianlutheran.ca Volume 32 Number 2 March/April 2017

Easter and the Reformation Faith Back to the Catechism: The Creed We All Believe in One True God Restructuring Update: The 37 Decisions About the Cover Art

6 8 9 10 40

Departments Table Talk

Missing Jesus

History of the Reformation

The Excommunication

In Review

The Shack

Presidential Perspective

Luther’s Reformation: Yes, We Are Celebrating

News Section International News

Cambodian Lutherans continue work to register new church body • Eastern European Bishops meet in Ukraine

National News T h e C a n a d i a n L u t h e r a n is the national publication of Lutheran Church–Canada, published in Winnipeg six times per year: January/ February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/ October, November/December under the auspices of the Board of Directors (Committee for Communication and Technology). ISSN #0383-4247 Member: Canadian Church Press Editor: Mathew Block Advertising: Iris Barta District News Layout: Marion Hollinger Subscriptions: $20/yr E-mail: bcs@lutheranchurch.ca

All material and advertising should be in the office of The Canadian Lutheran five weeks prior to publication date. Advertising rate card available upon request. The Canadian Lutheran 3074 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2 Telephone: 204-895-3433 FAX: 204-832-3018 E-mail: communications@lutheranchurch.ca Materials published in The Canadian Lutheran, with the exception of Letters to the Editor, news reports, and advertising, receive doctrinal review and approval before publication. Contents of supplements are the responsibility of the organization purchasing the space. ©2017 Lutheran Church–Canada. Reproduction of a single article or column for parish use does not require the permission of The Canadian Lutheran. Such reproductions, however, should credit The Canadian Lutheran as the source. S c r i pt u r e t a ke n f ro m t h e H O LY B I B L E , N E W INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

President Bugbee will not stand for reelection • LCC joins groups defending physicians’ rights • Reformation Resources • Statistics

ABC District

Nicaraguan mission projects • District gift coordinator provides seminars • Williams Lake welcomes new pastor

Central District

HIgher Things youth retreat • Honouring local police workers • Winnipeg lecture series • PAT student certified to preach

East District

Urban outreach conference • French-speaking youth retreat • Special anniversaries • District office undergoing renovations

Mission Update

Sharing the story of the Reformation in Ukraine • CLWR executive director to retire

Education Report

CLTS Vicars’ dinner with the LWMLC • From Megadeth to Megalife Book of Concord Readings

37 41

Supplement

Classifieds

Lutheran Foundation Canada REFLECTING GOD’S GRACE

Plan. Make a difference… for your loved ones, and the ministries you value.

2017

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April “How can I leave a legacy gift for my congregation or ministry, and still be a blessing to my family?” Questions like this are very important. Supporting your church doesn’t have to come at the expense of your family. Lutheran Foundation Canada can help you plan.

2017

Table Talk

Missing Jesus

f anyone should have understood Jesus, it was Judas. A disciple of the Lord, He had heard the teachings and seen the miracles. But on the night he betrays Jesus, we see how little he truly knew Him. We read that Judas leads out “a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees” against Jesus, carrying with them “lanterns and torches and weapons” (John 18:3). We further read that the “great crowd” is armed with “swords and clubs” (Matthew 26:47). A confrontation is clearly expected. “Whom do you seek?” the Lord asks. They tell Him they want Jesus of Nazareth. “I am He,” He says (John 18:4-5). But rather than arrest him, they shrink back. Something about Jesus and His answer—I am He—gives them pause. The Jesus they meet, it seems, is not the Jesus they were expecting. These armed soldiers stand uncertain before the unarmed Jesus. Judas should have known that Jesus would make no resistance. “Have you come out as against a robber,” Jesus asks in surprise, “with swords and clubs to capture me?” (Mark 14:48). The answer should be no: Jesus is no insurrectionist. And yet there Judas is with an army at his back. He is not alone in misunderstanding Jesus. The other disciples likewise fail to understand Him here, asking whether they should draw their swords. Peter even strikes off the ear of a servant of the high priest. But Jesus rebukes Peter and heals the injured man. Only then is He finally arrested. Neither Judas nor the other disciples, it seems, truly understand who Jesus is. They expect Him to try for an earthly throne—to fight for His

by Mathew Block Editor, The Canadian Lutheran life. Instead, they find a lamb who walks willingly to the slaughter. The confusion over Jesus continues throughout the crucifixion story. The council of priests are looking for a blasphemer; they find One in whose mouth no deceit can be found (1 Peter 2:22). Pilate is looking for a criminal (John 18:29, 35); he finds a King (18:36-37). And more than a king—he finds the Son of God (19:7). Everyone in the story misses who Jesus really is. They are prisoners to their own expectations. And so it is that Jesus is led out to Golgotha to be crucified. The confusion continues into the resurrection story too. “On the first day of the week,” we read, “Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1). She has come to anoint the body with spices—to find, in other words, a corpse. What she finds instead is an empty tomb. In confusion, she runs and tells Peter and John, who come and confirm the tomb is empty. They return at length to their own homes, but Mary remains. “Mary stood weeping outside the tomb,” we read, “and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb” (John 20:11). Two angels ask whom she is seeking. She responds that she is looking for the body of the Lord. Then Jesus Himself appears behind her. “Woman, why are you weeping?” He asks. “Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15). But she does not recognize Him. She mistakes Him for a gardener and asks again about the body. Finally, Jesus calls her by name and at last she understands. We do not always see Jesus for who He is. In moments like these,

we need Him to call us by name as He called Mary—to open our eyes. Only then can we see Him for who He is: our Saviour. Christ does that for you in Scripture. There He gives you the testimony of those who have seen and understood Jesus. He speaks to you even now through their words. St. Mary Magdalene did the same for the disciples when she told them Jesus was risen. The disciples in their turn told others, and down it has gone through the ages. In his gospel, St. John writes that he is an eyewitness to the events in question, and He shares them with you that you also may believe (John 19:35)—“and that by believing you may have life in His name” (20:31). In the same way, we celebrate the testimony of those who have gone before us for reminding us who Christ really is. To that end, we consider anew the Apostle’s Creed in this issue of The Canadian Lutheran, and its faithful witness to Christ down through the centuries (page 8). We remember also the Easter-focused faith of Martin Luther and its continuing witness to Christ (page 6). It is in that sense that we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this year, as President Robert Bugbee explains (page 42). We’re not celebrating Luther for the sake of Luther. But like the writers of the Apostle’s Creed, like St. John and the other Gospel writers, like St. Mary Magdalene at the tomb, Luther and the other reformers stand as witnesses to Christ. They help us to see Jesus as He is: the crucified and risen One, Son of God, and Saviour of the world— Saviour even of us who sometimes fail to see Him as we ought.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

The bottom panel of the altarpiece in St. Mary’s Church in Wittenberg (Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1547).

Easter and the Reformation Faith by Kurt Lantz

aster is a good time to celebrate the Reformation. Martin Luther at least would not want us to forget about the reformation Gospel on this great festival. In an Easter Sermon, preached at the parish church on April 13, 1533, the good doctor confided, “It is my greatest concern to sustain your interest in this article so that when I’m dead and gone, I might have left you with this treasure. For it is very evident that when those of us who are now preaching are dead, factious spirits and fanatics will arise to destroy, spoil, tear down, and break up what we have built.” What “article” is he re f e r r i n g t o ? T h e Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in Jesus Christ who … rose again from the dead....” Even before Luther died, “factious spirits and fanatics” had arisen, denying the one death and resurrection that makes all the difference. Luther identified them as those who “preach about Christ as just another prophet and allude to him as a visionary.” We also can identify such factious spirits

and fanatics in our day. They include not only those who deny that Jesus is the Son of God and that He rose from the dead, but also those who choose not to preach on this article of faith, preferring to focus instead on philosophies drawn from the teachings and example of Jesus, and expounded independently of His death and resurrection for sinners. Reflecting upon his time under the papacy, Luther knew that the Gospel was present in the liturgy he had learned since childhood. But he also knew our thoughts were too often directed to matters of personal virtue and not to Christ. Knowing that our sinful nature always wants to keep the focus on ourselves, Luther realized that even Lutheran preachers would grow lazy and fail to give the article of Jesus’ death and resurrection for our justification its due attention. We must confess that here, too, the good doctor hit the nail on the head. The gift of God rediscovered in the Lutheran Reformation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its truth and purity. The

The gift of God rediscovered in the Lutheran Reformation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its truth and purity.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Lutheran reformers used their God-given abilities not only to preach and proclaim this gift, but also to safeguard it for future generations, including our own. This is done especially well in the catechisms, with their explanations of the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, and the Sacrament of the Altar. All serve to lead us to Jesus Christ crucified and risen in order to justify us by His holy body and blood given to penitent sinners. We need the catechisms, the hymns, the liturgy, the visual arts, and the call words of the Reformation to keep us focused forever on Christ alone. We need faithful preachers to continue to place the emphasis on that article of Jesus crucified and risen for the justification of sinners. We need hymn writers to continue that tradition of leading the Church in singing the confession. We need artists of all kinds whose primary concern is to keep our focus on Jesus. We need to echo the call words of the Reformation and continue to proclaim Christ Alone, Christ Forever. We n e e d t h e Reformation Gospel at all times because the most dangerous factious spirits and fanatics are those that a r i s e f ro m w i t h i n ourselves. I don’t only mean those that might a r i s e f ro m w i t h i n Lutheran Church– Canada, or from within one of its congregations or seminaries, but those that arise from within my own person. As surely as I see them arise within myself, so too they can easily arise within the structures of this church body composed of members like me. The factious spirits within point us not to Christ but to what gives pleasure in this life. The evidence of joy, wealth, and fame are where we are tempted to look to see whether God smiles upon us. When these are lacking, where there is sadness, poverty, and isolation, we conclude that God has abandoned us. These deceitful spirits would lead us away from Jesus when His bloody cross and empty tomb need to be our point of focus. And there is no status of fame or wealth there. There is no prescribed state of emotion. The witnesses to the resurrection felt both fear and great joy. The only sure testimony is Jesus risen and coming to His own. If we look to personal pleasure as more important than Christ, then we have left the Gospel. The fanatic within us also points us to look at the good things we accomplish rather than to look at what Christ has done. If we find the proof of our justification in the satisfaction of a job well done, we are being misdirected. For

our salvation is not something we force in from the outside— the good we have done pressing righteousness into our hearts. Rather, it flows the other way. Christ’s righteousness, freely given and received by faith, exudes outwards from the heart. It is not apprehended by focusing on either hand or heart, but on Christ crucified and risen for you. When it comes to our salvation everything that has to do with us must be buried in the tomb from whence Christ alone arises. Our works and our piety cannot give life to themselves, neither can they be the source of our life in Christ. Jesus alone, Son of God and Son of Man, crucified for our sin and raised for our justification, is our only source of comfort and hope. When we are attacked by the factious spirits and fanatics within ourselves—when we are stuck in sin, temptation, and condemnation—Jesus is still risen. And He is risen for us. When God is angry with us for overlooking the death and resurrection of His Son, should we bring forth our own efforts before Him looking for pardon, or flee to His grace and mercy in Jesus? Christ alone conquered sin, serpent, death, and hell. He is the sure and only Saviour. He is the one hope and salvation of sinners. He rose from the dead and directed: “Go, tell My brothers.” If He called them “brothers” who denied Him and ran away in His hour of need, then we who have denied Him and turned away to focus on ourselves may hear Him say the same to us. Crucified for our sins and risen triumphant from the dead, He calls us brothers and comes to gladden us with His presence. This Gospel cannot be surrendered to the factious spirits and fanatics within or without. To fight off these factious spirits and fanatics, Luther prescribes, even in the Easter Season, that “a Christian ought to acquire the custom of praying the Lord’s Prayer, firmly crossing himself and saying in thought: Keep me, dear Lord, from the sin against the Holy Ghost, that I may not fall from faith and thy Word, and may not become a Turk, a Jew, or a monk and a papal saint, who believe and live contrary to this brotherhood; but that I may hold fast to a little fringe of the garment of this brotherhood.” God give us this Reformation faith this Easter and always.

Crucified for our sins and risen triumphant from the dead, He calls us brothers and comes to gladden us with His presence. This Gospel cannot be surrendered to the factious spirits and fanatics within or without.

Rev. Kurt A. Lantz is pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church (St. Catharines, Ontario) and associate chaplain at Brock University. THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Back to the Catechism

The Creed by Martin Luther

s the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

The First Article: Creation I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife a n d c h i l d re n , l a n d , animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and m e rcy, w i t h o u t a ny merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. The Second Article: Redemption And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten

o f t h e Fa t h e r f ro m e t e r n i t y, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness,

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. The Third Article: Sanctification I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on e a r t h , a n d ke e p s i t with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true. Adapted from Luther’s Small Catechism © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used with permission. All rights reserved. To purchase Luther’s Small Catechism, please visit CPH at www.cph.org.

We all believe in one true God by Edward G. Kettner

hen Luther outlined the order of the catechism, he noted that first we need to see what God would have us do and leave undone. Then we need to see what provision God has made for us because we have not done or have left undone what God says we should. The commandments clearly give us instruction for our life as we should live it as people of God, and show us that we have not lived up to their standards. From there Luther takes us to the Creed, where we see what God has done to preserve our lives, both on earth and in relationship to Him. While there are three creeds that have been widely used in the Church down through the ages, the focus in the Catechism is on the Apostles’ Creed. This Creed has become the creed used in baptism, the creed which summarizes what the Scriptures teach about the God Who Is, and the God whom we confess as our saving God. Luther was the first to organize the Creed into three articles. This Trinitarian emphasis sets forth God’s three main works on our behalf: creation, redemption, and sanctification. All three persons of the Trinity are involved in all divine works, yet in each of these works one or another member of the Trinity takes centre stage, as it were. And as Luther explains the Creed, he brings out the personal side of faith, as he has us testify that this is all done “for me.” Thus, the first article of the Creed focuses on God the Father, and on the work of creation. God as Father refers first and foremost to His place within the Godhead, yet we are also told that God gives us the blessings of this earthly life out of “fatherly divine goodness and mercy,” showing that God has a fatherly relationship to all of creation. Luther reminds us that because God has given us all the

blessings of this earthly life without any merit or worthiness in us, it is our duty to “thank, praise, serve, and obey Him.” This article call us back to the commandments, reminding us of their importance, but at the same time reminding us how far we fall short in our thanks, praise, service, and obedience. The second article highlights the centerpiece of our faith, the person and work of Christ “for me.” Jesus is “my Lord,” because he has “redeemed me.” The law shows me to be a “lost

The crucifixion of Christ . Woodcut from the 1558 edition of Luther’s Small Catechism.

and condemned sinner,” but Christ has redeemed me with His “holy, precious blood” and His “innocent suffering and death,” to make me His own. So Jesus’ Lordship comes about because He has redeemed me. We don’t choose to make Him our Lord; He has made Himself our Lord. In so doing we receive life in “everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.” The third article points out that the Holy Spirit brings the blessings of Christ to me and transforms me through the Gospel as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies me, making

me a member of the Church, forgiving me my sins, and on the Last Day raising me from the dead and giving me eternal life along with all believers in Christ. Note how Luther takes us through each statement of this article and weaves it together, showing the fullness of God’s work for us. In all these articles, Luther leads each of us who has been created, redeemed, and sanctified by the Triune God, to boldly and loudly confess, “This is most certainly true!” This is a declaration of our trust in this God and in His promises to us. It is in fact the meaning of that word “Amen!” The creeds of the church were developed and honed over the first centuries after Christ’s ascension, as the Church saw how important it is to succinctly declare the faith to itself and to the world. The Church has confessed the creeds as we have them for nearly a millennium and a half, putting God’s words into our mouths to reinforce the faith in our hearts. Yet from time to time some have tried to reinvent the creeds to bring the church “up to date,” to make it more “relevant” or to try something new in the name of “creativity.” These attempts always fall short, whether by putting the focus on the individual and his/her believing rather than on the work that God has done “for me”; or by abandoning the precision of the creeds in favor of expressing faith in some amorphous deity that has done something for us but which is never explicitly stated. By God’s grace, the Christian faith has been preserved and confessed by the Church with these creeds, and, through this, God has preserved His Church. Why would we want or need anything else than this? Rev. Dr. Edward G. Kettner is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton).

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Re-Forming Our Church

Restructuring Update - The 37 Decisions CANADA – The Commission for Constitutional Matters and Structure (CCMS) of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) has released a new document which outlines the proposed new structure of LCC in detail. The document is entitled “The 37 Decisions” and runs to 23 pages in length. Among the 37 decisions are final suggestions on the move to one administrative unit; the transition from a threeyear convention cycle to a four-year convention cycle; the allowance of convention delegates from every congregation/ parish; and the allowance of vacancy pastors to serve as pastoral delegates. Still to be determined is the final number of regions for a restructured Lutheran Church–Canada. Related details, however, have been nailed down, such as decision making processes for changes to boundaries of regions and circuits; and the structure of regional and circuit convocations. Also spelled out is the decision making processes for the vetting and selection of Regional Pastors and Circuit Counsellors, along with their responsibilities and expectations. The CCMS has decided to recommend retaining a balanced Board of Directors for Synod, with equal layclergy representation from each region. Responsibilities and expectations of the Board of Directors are spelled out in the document, along with decisions regarding the determination of costs for services and administration of LCC. Also explained in detail is the division of the President’s responsibilities between a President and an Administrator, with the responsibilities and processes of accountability spelled out for each, among other information. With the adoption of Regional Pastors, the church would now elect only one synodical Vice-President. The document goes on to explain the creation and processes of Regional Mission and Ministry Councils, which will advise Regional Pastors and provide other services on a local level, including the facilitation of regional/circuit convocations. Additional decisions have been made regarding the President’s Ministry Council, which will be made up by

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

the President, together with the Regional Pastors and LCC’s Vice-President. The Council will function similarly to LCC’s current Council of Presidents. Additional decisions, and greater detail on the ones summarized above, are available in the document itself. Download it at www.canadianlutheran.ca/37-decisions-onthe-restructuring-of-lutheran-church-canada. Moving forward, the schedule for remaining work on the restructuring of synod is as follows: April 2-3: The CCMS meets to vet proposed new Bylaws of the Synod. April 21-22: LCC’s Board of Directors vets new proposed Bylaws of Synod. April 29-June 10: Regional meetings will be held across Canada for members of LCC to vet proposed new Bylaws of Synod. June 19-21: The CCMS finalizes the proposed new Bylaws of Synod. September 2017: The finalized new Bylaws of Synod are shared in meetings across the country with the elected delegates to the October 2017 Convention of Lutheran Church–Canada, enabling all delegates to be able to ask questions for clarification and to fully understand the new structure and Bylaws of the Synod, which they will be asked to vote on at the Convention. October 13-15: The new structure and Bylaws of the Synod will be voted on by delegates to the synodical convention. In its meeting April 2-3 in Winnipeg, the CCMS will be discussing and beginning work on a plan for LCC implementation of the new structure and Bylaws during the months following the Convention. If the new structure is passed by a two-thirds majority of the delegates to the Convention, congregations will then have six months to vote individually on the new structure. The new structure will be implemented if a two-thirds majority of congregations vote in favor of the new structure.

International News www.canadianlutheran.ca

Cambodian Lutherans continue work to register new church body CAMBODIA - Work to build a new Lutheran church body in Cambodia continues apace. Church members in Cambodia applied to the government at the end of January to register a new church body under the name Cambodia Lutheran Church (CLC). Provincial authorities in Kompot gave their approval on February 21. From there, the CLC passed the registration to the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia on February 22, as this entity must also indicate their approval for new Protestant church bodies in Cambodia. Following that process, the registration passed to the federal level to receive approval from the Minister of Cult and Religion on February 27.

Lutheran Church– Canada (LCC) has long been involved in supporting Lutheran outreach in Cambodia, and has committed to providing financial support to the Cambodia Lutheran Church throughout i t s re g i s t ra t i o n a n d development. Rev. Dr. Cambodian Lutherans take their registration to the office Leonardo Neitzel (LCC’s of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia. Mission Executive) and Rev. Dr. Leonard Harms (LCC’s the region. Lutherans in Cambodia Mission Advisor for Southeast Asia) had formerly been organized in will travel to Cambodia in early the Evangelical Lutheran Church April to provide guidance on church in Cambodia, until its government governance and other matters. re g i s t ra t i o n l a p s e d i n 2 01 6 , The CLC is now Lutheran prompting the development of the Church–Canada’s partner church in new synod.

Eastern European bishops meet in Ukraine, discuss future cooperation UKRAINE - The heads of several Lutheran churches in the former Soviet Union recently met together in Ukraine for the Eastern European Bishops Conference, along with the heads of their North American partner churches, including Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) President Robert Bugbee. The conference, held in Odessa in late February, was hosted by the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine (DELKU) and its Bishop Sergey Maschewski. DELKU, long associated with the state (territorial) Lutheran churches of Germany, has in recent years begun aligning itself with more conservative bodies like The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and LCC. In addition to the presidents of LCC and LCMS, DELKU also hosted the bishops (or their representatives) from several other Lutheran church bodies in eastern Europe, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in Lithuania, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU), and the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC). During the conference, the bishops reported on their respective churches and the challenges they face, as well as opportunities for future cooperation between their churches. “United by much of our common history and— what is of more relevance today—by similar theological outlook, we felt that there was a need for closer cooperation in the future,” explained Rev. Alexey Strelstov, rector of the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church’s seminary in Novosibirsk, Russia. Rev. Strelstov presented on education in a confessional Lutheran context on the final day of the conference. Part of that future cooperation may well take place on theological education. One evening of the conference, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine invited participants to visit their seminary in Usatovo, a suburb of Odessa. Representatives of the Siberian church expressed interest

in forging closer ties with SELCU on seminary education. There were discussions on assisting the Ukrainian seminary in procuring more Russian-language theological books for its library, as well as the possibility of SELC seminary professors coming to teach shortterm courses in Usatovo. “The interaction between these Russian speakers, all keenly interested in the faithful biblical training of pastors, was a real joy to watch,” noted LCC President Robert Bugbee. T h e E va n g e l i c a l L u t h e ra n Church of Ingria in Russia and the Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church are both members of the International Lutheran Council, as are LCC and the LCMS. The Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine is a partner church of LCC, while the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania are both partner churches of the LCMS. The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, meanwhile, has been seeking closer relations to the LCMS in recent years.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

National News www.canadianlutheran.ca

President Bugbee will not stand for re-election CANADA - Lutheran Church– Canada (LCC) President Robert Bugbee announced in a February letter to the church that he will not be standing for reelection at the 2017 Synodical Convention. “I write today to inform the church that I cannot accept nomination for a fourth term as Synod’s President,” he explains in his letter. “I have prayed to the Lord and turned these matters over in mind and heart for well over a year…. I have sought to make this decision in the fear of God. I ask the members of Synod’s family to respect it.” Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee was first elected President of Lutheran Church– Canada in 2008. He was acclaimed without opposition to a second term in 2011, and a third in 2014. The full text of President Bugbee’s letter follows. To the Pastors, Deacons and Congregations of Lutheran Church-Canada Treasured friends in Christ Jesus, Next month our office will send out forms encouraging LCC congregations to nominate pastors from the Synod’s roster for the offices of President and Vice-President. This is part of our preparation for the 11th LCC Convention, set for October 1316, 2017, in downtown Kitchener, Ontario. Local congregations are urged to send in nominations during the upcoming months of March, April and May. I write today to inform the church that I cannot accept nomination for a fourth term as Synod’s President. In this brief space it would be difficult to unpack all the details which brought me to this conclusion. I will attempt here to describe the essential things, and hope you will read this message carefully. I have prayed to the Lord and turned these matters over in mind and heart every day for well over a year. The primary reasons I cannot continue have to do with the well-being of my

family. Many of you know how the Lord spared my wife through multiple cancers (2006 and 2008) and has held this disease under control in recent years. At the same time, the effects of drugs and treatments, together with other medical conditions, are taking their toll on her. They make it increasingly a hardship for me to leave her so frequently, especially for longer periods of time. In order to properly do the work, the Synod President must travel extensively—both in Canada and abroad—on a regular basis. That is an essential job requirement. I am reluctant to go into personal details, but have come to the place where I cannot in good conscience set aside the priorities of my calling in our marriage and household. In addition to that need, we have serious challenges in our extended family. In some of these matters Gail and I are the only ones who can provide the necessary support, since she is her mother’s only surviving child. It is nearly impossible to do it properly from Winnipeg, since we live so very far away from our loved ones. I have sought to make this decision in the fear of God. I ask the members of Synod’s family to respect it. There are several other things on all of this I wish everyone to understand clearly: This is not a retirement announcement. Although I expect to be 63 years old at the end of my term, I have no interest in retiring. If the Lord continues to give me good health, I also have no wish to end my active ministry even at the usual “quitting age” of 65. It is my hope that He may favour me with a call to return full-time to the parish ministry in eastern Canada so that I may do His work in one place where I can be available for my wife, and so that we together can address the needs we face in our extended family, especially with her aging mother. I hope to carry on as a parish pastor for a good number of years. (To be sure, as I write this, I have no way of knowing whether the Lord will grant me such a call.)

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

This does not change my commitment to the current restructuring effort. Our present LCC structure involving four corporate entities (LCC and three districts) in a church body smaller than many individual Missouri Synod districts is simply too much machinery. It is needlessly using up financial resources—but, even more importantly—consuming time and talent that must be poured more directly into the mission of reaching people for Christ and nurturing those already reached. I agree with the responses of most pastors and laypeople as expressed in last year’s survey and circuit meetings throughout the country, who are ready for this change. I intend to keep speaking out on these matters between now and the Convention, and fully support the ongoing efforts of the LCC Commission on Constitutional Matters and Structure (CCMS). The personal and family considerations leading me to seek release from my work as Synod President should not be understood as a “vote of non-confidence” in the restructuring project. LCC will simply compound its problems and may well organizationally “strangle” itself in the near future if we miss this opportunity. This will likely be a long farewell. You may recall that our Convention schedule was changed to accommodate the will of all three 2015 District conventions to have restructuring proposals ready this year. This is why our Convention was delayed four months to this October. If the restructuring effort is passed by the Convention—and then ratified by local congregations across LCC—it will be well into 2018 before the actual changeover of terms. That means the transition period between the election of a new President and the end of the current term will be more drawn out than in the past. (This would be a “one time” situation with the phase-in of restructuring.) Your immediate homework: Pray and nominate! As you set this... (continued next page)

National News www.canadianlutheran.ca

LCC joins faith groups in seeking protection for Ontario physicians’ rights TORONTO - An open letter to Ontario’s 107 legislators from faith leaders, including the president of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, asks the Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to amend Bill 84 (Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act) to include the right of physicians and healthcare workers to decline providing medical assistance in dying (MAID) based on their conscience. The bill amends various existing pieces of legislation to allow assisted suicide and euthanasia. By including “conscience rights” the bill would address the current guidelines adopted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). According to the CPSO, physicians and healthcare workers can decline assisting in a patient’s death but must refer the patient to someone who will provide the service, a practice known as “effective referral.” The letter points out “whether you do something yourself or arrange that it be done by someone else (effective referral), you are causing it to happen.” “Life and death decisions shouldn’t be made in a moral vacuum or against one’s faith,” noted President Bugbee. “And no one should be penalized for making a decision based on their conscience or religious convictions.”

T h e letter states that eight Canadian provinces do not require “e f f e c t i ve referrals” f r o m p hy s i c i a n s . It also notes that “freedom of conscience and religion are enshrined i n t h e Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These rights must be respected, especially in matters of life and death.” The fear is that failing to assist in death will lead to sanctions and recriminations for the health care provider. Further, without “conscience rights” those with strong life-affirming moral convictions may no longer be comfortable pursuing medical careers. Published as hearings on Bill 84 begin, the letter is signed by re p re s e n t a t i ve s f ro m t h e Roman Catholic and Orthodox communities, Jewish and Muslim leaders, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, The Salvation Army, and Lutheran Church–Canada, the only mainline Protestant church body included.

In 2015 LCC joined other Christian communities and faith groups to speak against assisted suicide and euthanasia following the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision which decriminalized assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. The PDF full text of the letter is available at www.canadianlutheran. ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ joint-mpp-letter-march-27-17.pdf. A resource developed by the Coalition for HealthCARE and Conscience that explains the current problem with Ontario’s euthanasia legislation and the lack of conscience protection rights, and offers some possible solutions is available at www.canadianlutheran. ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ mppbgbill84march17.pdf.

President Bugbee, continued (continued from previous page) letter aside, I ask you to start praying on a daily basis that the Lord will raise up the leaders He knows we need. (I am already doing this.) I hope your church will schedule a special voters’ meeting between March 15 and June 15 to come together and send in nominations from your congregation. The needs of the church are pressing at this important moment when our society has—spiritually speaking—lost its way and is desperate for a clear

witness to Jesus Christ. A leader who loves Christ, His Word, His people and has the will to address the challenges will be a true gift from God. Let’s call on the Lord now to use our people in local churches across Canada to identify servants of that kind. I thank you for reflecting carefully on what I am writing here. I felt it important to notify all concerned before the forms are sent out, so that congregations will not “waste” their ballot by nominating me for another term.

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21) Sincere greetings in Christ to one and all, Robert Bugbee, President

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

National News www.canadianlutheran.ca

Reformation posters for your church

ONLINE - Kelly Klages has agreed to prepare six pieces of original art for Lutheran Church–Canada commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Each piece of art is being featured on the covers of this year’s issues of The Canadian Lutheran magazine, and is subsequently being made available to Lutheran Church– Canada congregations as a free,

downloadable poster. The first entry in the series—on the publication of the 95 Theses—is now available to download, and the second—on the excommunication of Luther—will be made available soon. You can print out the posters, along with accompanying artist’s statement, as they become available a t w w w. re f o r m a t i o n 2 01 7 . c a / resources/posters/.

Reformation outreach to your local school CANADA - As your congregation prepares to commemorate the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, you are likely considering ways to reach out to your community. Chances are your local school studies the Reformation at some point in its history curriculum. Why not ask if they would like a guest speaker on the topic—namely, your pastor or another leader in your church? Lutheran Church–Canada has developed a draft letter you can use to introduce this idea to local schools in your area. Just download the letter here: www. reformation2017.ca/content/ uploads/2016/08/A-Letter-onReformation-History.zip. Then, update it with your church’s information, and send it off. Yo u c a n f i n d a d d i t i o n a l Reformation-related resources— including posters, craft ideas, reading lists, and more at www. reformation2017.ca/resources.

LCC releases Reformation anniversary banner patterns CANADA - Lutheran Church– Canada (LCC) is pleased to make available two banner patterns in commemoration of the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation. The first banner was designed by Kelly Klages. It shows Luther’s Rose, growing from the roots of the Reformation, while a cross stands in the background. Luther’s Rose was Martin Luther’s personal seal, and is widely recognized as a symbol for Lutheranism more generally. Its colours and symbols portray the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ. The second banner was designed by Barbara Kuehn, based on a concept by Philip Prozenko. The

shadow of Martin Luther stands holding the Bible in hand, while a cross looms in the background. An adaptation of LCC’s Re f o r m a t i o n anniversary logo sits on the bottom. To make a banner for your c o n g re g a t i o n , simply download the image file, print it out, and use an overhead projector to transfer the pattern to a larger piece of

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

paper. Download the patterns for the banners at www.reformation2017.ca/ resources/reformation-banners.

National News www.canadianlutheran.ca

Free “Here I Stand” poster exhibition

Orgins

ONLINE - Recognizing that many people are not able to travel to visit Reformation museums and displays in 2017, four German museum organizations along with three American partners have worked together to produce a free Reformationthemed exhibition that anyone can download and print for free—or, alternately, view online. The exhibition “#HereIStand: Martin Luther, the Reformation and its Results” is a modular poster exhibition, meaning interested parties can print and display anywhere from 9 to 30 posters reflecting on the Reformation and its impact for today (posters are 84.1 x 59.4 cms). “With modern, scientifically substantiated, and attractively designed information graphics, the exhibition shows the most important events in the history of the Reformation, and its effects up to the present,” promotional material explains. “Using the biography of Martin Luther as a starting point, insight is given into the time prior to the Reformation. The

Spheres of Life

Awakening

exhibition then directs its focus to the dynamics of the Reformation, which unfolded after Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses against the sale of indulgences, and deals w i t h c e n t ra l questions of the history of the Reformation: What was Poster Packages XXL actually – all posters new about Luther’s theology? What happened in Wittenberg in 1517? How did the new teaching spread?” In addition to posters, #HereIStand also includes large images of highquality museum exhibits as well as a number of 3D-scanned items. These objects can be downloaded and printed out on a 3D printer (although related costs would likely require such printing to be made on a smaller scale).

Successes

Crisis

Change of Perspective

Posterity

Why not consider displaying the poster exhibit in your congregation a s p a r t o f Re f o r m a t i o n 2 01 7 observances? Download the series for free at: www.here-i-stand. com/en/order. You will also find a promotional poster you can use to advertise the exhibition around your community. If you are not interested in printing the posters yourself, you can also view the series online: www.here-i-stand. com/en/exhibition.

The Age of the Reformation This exhibition module contains all of the posters. It sheds light upon the European Reformation and its effects up until the present. Topics include the history of women in the Reformation period, Luther’s fellow reformers, and the global spread of Protestantism.

Schedule your showing of new Luther movie CANADA - The radical events, compelling personalities, and exciting drama of the Reformation are brought to life in Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World. This new fulllength documentary features thrilling reenactments of the sixteenth-century events with commentary from leading church-history experts. The film, which was sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, is now available to schedule for a showing in your community. The film features narration by Hugh Bonneville, best known for his acting on Downton Abbey. Pádraic Delaney, known for his work on television series The Tudors and movie The Wind that Shakes the Barley, portrays Martin Luther in the film. Producing the documentary are Emmynominated Lutheran filmmakers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein. Among the many experts who appear

in the movie is President Matthew C. Harrison of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod. Showing the film is an excellent w a y t o commemorate t h e 5 0 0 th anniversary Padraic Delany stars as reformer Martin Luther in Martin Luther: The o f t h e Idea that Changed the World. (Image: Courtesy Boettcher+Trinklein Inc.) Reformation in a local setting. Congregations can [Note: Tugg has confirmed that theatre show the film in their own church via showings are not available in Canada.] DVD or Blue-ray through a licensing Publicity materials to promote agreement. To set up a church the film are available at www. showing, visit www.newluthermovie. newluthermovie.com/tools.html. com/venue.html (showings are also The film will also air on PBS available for schools and libraries). later in 2017. THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

here-i-stand.com/en/order

National News www.canadianlutheran.ca

LCC membership down, junior confirmations up in latest statistics Membership gains through baptism and confirmation 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Children Baptized

Juniors Confirmed

CANADA - The 2015 statistics for Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) have been released and they note, for the first time ever, a decrease in membership to below 60,000 members. In 2015, LCC counted a baptized membership of 58,745. That’s down from the year previous, when baptized membership was at 60,291. Confirmed membership is likewise down, sitting at 45,018 in 2015 (down from 46,673 members in 2014). LCC’s baptized membership has been in uninterrupted decline since 1999, while confirmed membership has been in uninterrupted decline since 2001. Average weekly attendance at congregations also continued its decline in 2015, down to 63 from 67 the year prior. Average communion attendance,

Adults Baptized/Confirmed

however, is up with confirmed members of LCC communing an average of seven times in 2015 (as opposed to just five in 2014). The number of children baptized in 2015 dipped to 652. That’s slightly less than the 670 baptized in 2014, but still above the number of children baptized annually from 2010-2012. 2011 marked the lowest number of children baptized on record with just 598. The number of juniors confirmed in 2015 (511 juniors) bounced back from 2014’s record low of 370. In fact, the number of confirmed juniors in 2015 is the highest since 2008. With the exception of negligible increases in 2002 and 2007, the number of juniors confirmed into membership in LCC has otherwise

Nominations for President/VicePresidents of LCC now open Lutheran Church–Canada congregations are reminded that nominations for president and vice-presidents of LCC are due by June 13, 2017. Nomination forms were emailed on March 14 to those congregations who have emails on record with LCC’s synodical office. Hard copies were mailed to all other congregations the day following.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

been in decline since 2000. 2015’s jump is therefore good news. The number of adults received into membership in 2015, however, was down—just 170, compared to a year prior when 213 adults were received. That’s still above 2011’s record low of 154, but is less than half the number recorded in 2012 and 2013 (when 389 and 370 adults respectively were received into membership). The number of congregations holding Sunday School classes in 2015 rose to 188 (from 168 the year prior). But the number of pupils dipped to an all-time low of 1,830 (down from 2,637 in 2014). The number of congregations holding Vacation Bible Schools was also up (142 from 123 the year prior), though likewise with a drop in over-all attendance (4,738 in 2015 as opposed to 5,628 in 2014). Weekday religion class attendance nearly doubled in 2015 to 1,145 (compare with just 618 the year prior). Reported attendance at Bible Study classes, however, dropped dramatically: just 1,876 in 2015 compared to 3,701 a year earlier. In 2015, Lutheran Church– Canada counted 301 congregations. 71 congregations did not send in statistical reports for the 2015 year (compare with 160 who did not send in reports for 2014). S e e t h e 2 01 5 s t a t i s t i c s a t www.lutheranchurch.ca/what. php?s=stats.

ABC District News

Alberta and and British British Columbia Columbia Laura Laura Goerz, Goerz, editor editor Alberta

District members involved in various Nicaragua mission projects Two ABC district women part of LWMLC initiative NICARAGUA AND COSTA RICA - In December 2016, six Lutheran women went to Nicaragua and Costa Rica to offer support and encouragement in a two-day seminar to the women of the church there in the Sister to Sister program, an initiative of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada. Included in this group were Pauline Huth of Surrey, B.C. and Judi Luckhardt of Stony Plain, Alta. When asked how she came to be interested in the project, Judi answered that it was her husband who pointed out this mission opportunity to her after picking up her copy of a LWMLC newsletter. Both Luckhardts are mission minded, being committed volunteers to the work of LAMP, leading VBS and other programs and gathering clothing donations. They use their blessing of early retirement to look for opportunities where they can use their gifts in the Lord’s service. Judi believed that if the Lord were calling her to this LWMLC mission activity that He would take care of the details. She was thrilled and excited when she was accepted to be part of this amazing opportunity and to have funding fall into place. Pauline has always had a heart for missions and, with her family, has supported mission work in various forms; she even considered being a missionary when she graduated from high school. Over the years both Pauline and her husband have had the opportunity to be involved in mission work including work with the BC Mission Boat and driving a bus down to a Mission in Mexico. Together they have been to Cameroon, West Africa, to assist Martin and Joan Weber pack for a furlough and they have spent a month at Safe Care Missions in Mexico working at a day care and orphanage. When Pauline first heard about the plans for the Sister to Sister trip, she prayed about it and felt called to accept. When God provided

There were many hugs and smiles.

were strong and meaningful, the needed funds built on the foundation for the trip, she felt of Christ. Pauline shares, certain God wanted “God gave us body language her as part of this with smiles, hugs, and special ministry tears and with that we can team. communicate in a loud voice Both Judi and for Jesus.” As Judi stated, Pauline believe the “Jesus is the (pego) glue that laity has a powerful binds us all together” and message to share that was evident on this and they both have a heart for serving Pauline Huth (left) with a mission trip. deaconess participant. These women are now our Lord and giving presentations throughout the Saviour. They were excited to share district, sharing the Sister to Sister the Gospel message, even while program at various LWMLC zone not knowing the language of the rallies this spring. countries visited. They found, when Pauline Huth and Judi Luckhardt sharing God’s love, that language is not a barrier. The bonds established

VBS and building projects by Team Zion NICARAGUA - At the invitation of Team Zion in Waterloo, Ont., Rev. Don Schiemann and Bev and Bryan Adam from St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Stony Plain, Alberta travelled to Nicaragua to share the Gospel. The mission trip was scheduled for January and after fundraising, continued next page

Students ready for VBS.

The Lutheran March/April 2017 1 THECanadian CANADIAN L UTHERAN March/April 2017 17

ABC District News

Alberta Alberta and and British British Columbia Columbia Laura Laura Goerz, Goerz, editor editor

From the President Do You Love to Fish? y friend, Roger Miller, died a few years ago after a lengthy fight with cancer, but he died “convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Roger loved to fish. One of my fondest fishing memories involving Roger occurred when he and I, with our friend, Tom, were fishing Truman’s Reservoir in Missouri. We had been fishing all day without a nibble. Late in the afternoon storm clouds rolled in and the fish began to bite. The rainstorm approached rapidly. There were cracks of lightning and thunder rumbled. Common sense screamed, “Stop fishing and head for a safe place!” but common sense and fishermen determined to catch fish don’t always go together. Finally, after one lightning bolt a little too close for comfort, we pulled anchor and headed back. The problem? We were miles away from the launch site and we were navigating our way back on a lake none of us had ever fished. Roger ran his Bass Tracker at full throttle. Tom, an experienced navigator, tried to make sense of the map we had of the lake and directed Roger accordingly. Suddenly, the boat sputtered and stopped. The gas tank was empty! Fortunately, Roger had a spare full tank of gas, but the gas line was flooded as he attempted to restart the motor. As the wind and waves pounded the boat…as the lightning and thunder advanced…Roger looked at Tom and me and he said, “Let’s all do what we are good at! I will get this boat going! Tom, you figure out how we navigate our way back to home; and Glenn: well…you pray. That’s what you’re good at!” Roger loved to fish. You see, Roger took to heart the words of Jesus, “I will make you a fisher-of-men.” As much as Roger loved to fish for walleye and bass, he delighted even more in “fishing for people” and teaching other people how to “fish”! I know. Roger taught me to love “fish” and how to “fish.”

Team Zion, continued preparing their VBS craft, and Rev. Schiemann learning some Spanish, their preparations were in order and they were ready to go.

I first got to know Roger when I was a first year student at the seminary. I thought I knew it all. I had spent the previous four years at Concordia, Ann Arbor preparing myself for seminary. I could translate the Bible from the Greek and Hebrew. I had already read Walther’s Law and Gospel and the Book of Concord at least two times each. While at Concordia Theological Seminary, I was privileged to study under some of the most knowledgeable Luther scholars in the world, but it was Roger (a man with no degrees after his name) who taught me to love “fish” and how to “fish.” It is said that, “There are two types of fishermen— those who fish for sport and those who fish for fish.” Truthfully, until I met Roger, I think I was a “fisher-of-men” who “fished” for sport. Roger “fished for fish.” Roger loved people and his passion was that every single person he came into contact with would know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Roger didn’t care if the person was rich or poor, a plumber or a physician, Roger “cast the nets of the Gospel” and people were drawn to Christ. Roger spoke of his Lord whether at work or in the hospital or in his fishing boat. Roger didn’t use fancy theological jargon when talking about Jesus. Roger simply spoke of Jesus—His life, His death, His resurrection, and the forgiveness and hope we have in Him. Roger lived what Martin Luther instructed of all Christians: “Each one, according to his calling and position, obtains the right and the power of teaching and confessing before others this Word, which we have obtained from Him. Even though not everybody has the public office and calling, every Christian has the right and the duty to teach, instruct, admonish, comfort, and rebuke his neighbor with the Word of God at every opportunity and whenever necessary” (LW 13:333). Roger was a man who loved to “fish”! Thank you, Roger, for teaching me how to “fish”! “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” – Jesus

T h e t h e m e f o r 2 01 7 w a s “Celebrating the Family of God,” written by Revs. Rick Frey and Bob Krestick. This team consisted of five pastors, nine construction

2 The Canadian Lutheran March/April 2017 18 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Rev. Dr. Glenn E. Schaeffer

workers, and 17 helpers for VBS who ministered in five areas to more than 1,200 people. Bryan, Bev, and Rev. Schiemann were involved in continued next page

ABC ABC District News

Alberta and and British British Columbia Columbia Laura Laura Goerz, Goerz, editor editor Alberta

District members involved in various Nicaragua mission projects Meeting the physical needs of the churches in Nicaragua NICARAGUA In late January/ early February 2017, work was done in both electrical and computer areas in a variety of Nicaraguan communities. Work began with Dan Rondeau, a welder from the Edmonton area and Reg Zotzman from the Lower M a i n l a n d sorting through Students working on their computers. The electrical team with some new friends. donated tools. the poverty of the area. As this group at the churches in Matagolpa, Garden tools were distributed to reflected on their time in Nicaragua Sebaco, Mission Centre, Potossi, and Mission gardening and other tools they said that if they hadn’t seen the Israel. All these sessions were well were stored for Mission staff use or odd car they would have felt that attended. Some 16-18 deaconesses for distribution to local churches. they were in the wild west of 200 attended training. A three-day basic Sean Zotzman and a crew of years back. course was presented that included two visited Telicia to review last Reg Zotzman was involved in an introduction to computers year’s work and to repair defective repairing computer equipment and application programs such as l i g h t s w i t c h e s a n d a d d n ew and in training. Approximately 25 LibreOffice suite, Kiwix, and Tux exterior lighting. Four days were computers were not working and Typing. Reg commented that as spent installing electrical power about half needed to be scrapped. these programs were undertaken at three churches at Potiso Sebaco Many laptops were updated or it was amazing to see the growth and Sommito. They then visited repaired. The computer team and commitment with the team Ranchero to update electrical work received 3-4 hour training for seven members, especially those that were done previously. Ranchero operates days. Public training was provided in Nicaragua for the first time. a feeding program for children due to Sean and Reg Zotzman

Team Zion, continued all of these areas of need. Whether teaching, helping or building, they all experienced the same zeal for the Gospel and the expressive joy and love from the people. They welcomed the team with open arms and encouraged them to return. The Alberta team members wish to thank their congregation and others within the district for donations, prayers, and time spent assembling the craft for VBS; SML Academy participants in the “Nicaragua Club,” Women in the Word, and numerous

St. Matthew members who were busy cutting puppets for the craft for VBS. They also thank God for the opportunity to minister to the people of Nicaragua and to partner with Team Zion. Bev Adam

Members of Team Zion.

The Lutheran March/April2017 201719 3 THE Canadian CANADIAN L UTHERAN March/April

ABC District News News ABC District

Alberta Alberta and and British British Columbia Columbia Laura Laura Goerz, Goerz, editor editor

District gift coordinator provides seminars A L B E RTA a n d B R I T I S H COLUMBIA - In September 2016, Allen Schellenberg, as Lutheran Foundation Canada’s executive director, and the gift coordinator within the ABC District, attended the local meeting of pastors (a winkel) in the Vancouver and Fraser Valley Circuits with 14 congregations represented. His goal was to give them a short presentation on planned giving, as well as an overview of what was covered in the Foundation’s three-hour seminar on Christian estate planning. After working eight years within the ABC District and presenting more than 100 seminars, Schellenberg found four congregations within these two circuits had yet to host a seminar, and six had hosted only one seminar, most with fewer than six people attending. Throughout the synod, the Foundation’s gift coordinators still struggle to find congregations willing to host a seminar, even though seminar evaluations have indicated great satisfaction with the content and presentation style. Allen was eager to improve the numbers

within his own backyard. To quantify the benefit of congregations hosting a seminar, Allen analyzed data covering the past eight years within these two circuits. For each congregation, he reviewed the number of seminars they hosted, the total number attending, and the total value of gifts designated to each. The data was then sorted based on the total number of seminar attendees. He found a direct correlation between the number of seminar attendees, the number of seminars, and most significantly, the value of gifts designated to that congregation. The three congregations with 30 or more attendees had considerably higher gift allocations then the others, with the top two having designated gifts of $300,000 or more, even though some people attended twice. Of course, congregations with no seminars had no gifts, and, except for one, those with one seminar had gifts of less than $22,000. It was apparent that hosting seminars and encouraging attendance was beneficial to the congregation. After showing this analysis at the ABC Church Workers Conference,

Williams Lake welcomes new pastor WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. - After a two-year vacancy, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church joyfully welcomed Rev. Noel Smith as their new pastor. Rev. Alan Visser, who was Noel’s vicarage supervisor (many years ago), preached at the February 29 service, while ABC District President Glenn Schaeffer performed the installation. Members of the congregation took turns presenting their new pastor with various symbols of the Office of the Holy Ministry (a Bible, communion chalice, stoles, and so forth) along with an explanation of each. Afterwards, in true Lutheran fashion, there was a magnificent potluck dinner to celebrate the event.

Schellenberg had numerous invitations to present seminars. Although this was an insufficient sample to extrapolate these findings across the entire synod, one would anticipate similar results if a more extensive analysis were undertaken. Just after the winkel presentation, Allen left on a road trip from Vancouver to Rimbey, Alberta, via Highway 1, and back along southern Highway 3, stopping at twelve Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) congregations along the route. These were congregations he had yet to visit, so he scheduled short meetings with their leadership to confirm awareness of the Foundation and what it does. Ten of these meetings were with leaders who had no previous knowledge of the Foundation or its work. Most were surprised they had not heard of the Foundation, and that it actually works on their behalf, as LCC congregations are named the beneficiary of 33 percent of all planned gifts. If your congregation has not yet hosted a seminar, or if you are uncertain about what Lutheran Foundation Canada can do to assist both individuals in their estate planning, and congregations in developing a Gift Acceptance and Use Policy, contact the gift coordinator in your district, and they will be pleased to answer your questions. Go to www.lutheranfoundation.ca to find out more, or to get contact information details.

Visit the ABC District website at www.lccabc.ca

(back, l-r) Revs. Dr. Glenn Schaefer, Noel Smith, Alan Visser; (front) St. John congregational chairman Trevor Schick.

Rev. Noel Smith

4 The Canadian Lutheran March/April 2017 20 THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Send news, photos, articles and announcements six weeks prior to publication month. Laura Goerz, District Editor editor@lccabc.ca

Next deadline: May 7, 2017

Central District News News

Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Manitoba, NW NW Ontario Ontario Elaine Elaine Stanfel, Stanfel, editor editor

Preparing soup for Lent FORT QU’APPELLE, Sask. - A “Soup and Study” event was held by Our Saviour LWMLC on Saturday, February 25, at Our Saviour Lutheran Church. Four members and a guest gathered to make hearty homemade soups for the congregation to enjoy at one of the upcoming suppers scheduled for Lenten services. A short Bible study, “Continue in What You Have Heard,” based on 2 Timothy 3:10-17 was led by one of the members. The morning’s event wrapped up with a lovely soup lunch and homemade banana bread for dessert.

Men’s nights bring generations together

Chili cookoff supports camp

Men of all ages enjoy food and fellowship together.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Camp Aurora’s third annual chili cookoff was once again a huge success! Rev. Garry Heintz (far left, Redeemer, Kakabeka Falls) was last year’s champion, but he was dethroned this year by Rev. Brian Falkenholt (holding the beautiful trophy) of Christ, Thunder Bay. Big thanks also to Rev. Tim Barone (second from left) of Calvary, Thunder Bay and Terry Hostland (far right) from Epiphany, Thunder Bay for making some great pots of chili as well.

WARMAN, Sask. - At the latest St. John’s Lutheran Men’s Night, men of all ages (19 years of age to somewhat more than 19 years of age) joined together for a supper of Asian cuisine. This particular night the group added a birthday cake in recognition of one of the group. As is usual when St. John’s hosts this event every second month at the church instead of going out to one of the local eateries, the group watched a comedian after supper, knowing that laughter is good for the soul. Rev. Randy Heide

News from Beausejour BEAUSEJOUR, Man. - A number of notable events took place at Grace Lutheran Church in late 2016 and early 2017. In November 2016, the catechism class invited the congregation to Meal and a Movie Day. Congregation members gathered for a meal planned and prepared by the class. They then watched The First Rosa, a movie about the pioneering African American Lutheran educator and missionary. In February 2017, Ethan Jeffrey Masters was welcomed into Christ’s family as he received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Ethan is the son of Ryan and Holly Masters who began coming to Grace last fall.

Valentine’s Day Lunch and Silent Auction. Members of t h e c h u rc h donated auction items ranging from baking to knitting to a hot dog maker to a replica of the Pastor Ward Yunker and the family of Ethan Jeffrey Masters Winnipeg Jets jersey worn by Temu Selanne. Following the service, Grace Money raised went to the LWMLC Lutheran Church Lutheran Women’s for future mission projects. Missionary League–Canada Rev. Ward I. Yunker (LWMLC) society held their annual The March/April 201721 1 THE Canadian CANADIAN LLutheran UTHERAN March/April 2017

Central District News News

Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Manitoba, NW NW Ontario Ontario Elaine Elaine Stanfel, Stanfel, editor editor

Higher Things youth retreat REGINA - Youth from Regina, Saskatoon, Middle Lake, Humboldt, Fort Qu’Appelle, and Churchbridge gathered at Mount Olive Lutheran Church for a Higher Things youth retreat February 23-24. The retreat’s theme was “Good News for People with Big Problems.” Rev. Brent Kuhlman (Trinity Lutheran Church, Murdock, Nebraska) was the main presenter. Using popular music Kuhlman guided the youth through the sometimes-not-so-well-hidden personal pain and suffering of various musicians and songwriters,

applying the Gospel to t h e i r t ro u b l e s a n d teaching how God’s Gospel in Jesus Christ is for everyone from the rich and famous to everyday folks including the youth present. Area pastors Rapp, Guggenmos, Dul, Albrecht, and Giese led services like Matins and Retreat presenters and participants at table together. Compline, and Divine anger and depression—all real-world Service was celebrated to kick off big problems that teens and adults and cap off the retreat. Services face daily. focused on themes of loneliness,

Ponderings from the president Faith, hope and joy in the promise of resurrection

ith the celebration of another Easter morning, we boldly confess in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe…in the resurrection of the body.” In the Nicene Creed we confess: “And the third day He [Jesus] rose again according to the Scriptures…and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” Martin Luther writes: “It is difficult to believe that man, who dies and perishes in so many different ways, is to live again; that his members, so widely scattered, reduced to dust and ashes in fire, water, and soil, are to be gathered again; that his soul is again to live in the same body in which it lived before; and that he is to have the same eyes, ears, hands, and feet, except that the body, together with its members, is to have a different manner of existence. This, I say, is difficult to believe. If you want to look at this with reason, the article of the resurrection of the dead seems to be either nothing at all or at least entirely uncertain.” As impossible and unreasonable as the concept of resurrection may seem, yet it is our faith that holds on to this promise of God concerning Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection is the assurance that all who put their trust in Him will also experience resurrection. The apostle Paul asks the question and then gives his own answer: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins…But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:17, 20).

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And then Paul writes such comforting words, “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Luther wrote of this promise in his Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands” (LSB 458): Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down His people to deliver; Destroying sin, He took the crown From death’s pale brow forever: Stripped of pow’r, no more it reigns; An empty form alone remains; Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia! It was a strange and dreadful strife When life and death contended; The victory remained with life, The reign of death was ended. Holy Scripture plainly saith That death is swallowed up by death, Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

In those blessed gifts from our risen Saviour—faith, hope and joy—we greet one another: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” Rev. Thomas Prachar

Central District District News Central News

Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Manitoba, NW NW Ontario Ontario Elaine Elaine Stanfel, Stanfel, editor editor

Congregation honours local police workers REGINA - The Outreach Committee at Mount Olive Lutheran Church hosted a police appreciation meal similar to the event held last year. Sloppy joes, buns, veggies and cakes were served throughout the day on March 13. Congregational members were invited to volunteer in different ways including providing food supplies, preparing and serving the meal, cleaning up, and meeting and greeting police. Several members of the Regina Police Service and some Saskatchewan RCMP came by to share in the food and fellowship. Organizers noted, “They [members of the police services]

wo r k h a rd t o serve and protect the community and we wanted to honour them in their vocation.” T h e Fo u r t h Commandment states: “Honour your father and y o u r m o t h e r. What does this mean? We should f e a r a n d l ove The Chief of Police rolled up his sleeves to do some of the dishes. God so that we do not despise or anger our parents cherish them.” and other authorities, but honour with information from Mount Olive them, serve and obey them, love and Lutheran Church Facebook page

Lecture series to continue WINNIPEG - A group of approximately 40 Lutherans in and around the Winnipeg area took advantage of a series of lectures presented at St. James Lutheran Church throughout the month of November 2016. Maria Neitzel, who has a Master’s Degree specializing in Bowen Family System Theory, spoke on “Understanding Family in God’s Design as an Emotional Unit,” on the evenings of November 2 and 9. The following two weeks, November 17 and 24, Dr. Jamie Muir, a professor of Philosophy at the University of Winnipeg and member at St. James, presented “Augustine of Hippo: The Logic That God Exits,” an examination of Saint Augustine’s thoughts as God led him from unbelieving skeptic to Christian saint. Attendees expressed interest to continue with two additional lectures by each presenter in the new year. Maria Neitzel continued in February with two lectures on the family genogram. Participants have a home assignment to prepare before the next gathering (dates undetermined at this time). Dr. Jamie Muir is preparing to give his second set of lectures after Easter, topics to be announced.

Maria Neitzel engaging her listeners.

Dr. Jamie Muir

The March/April 201723 3 THE Canadian CANADIAN LLutheran UTHERAN March/April 2017

Central District District News Central News

Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Manitoba, NW NW Ontario Ontario Elaine Elaine Stanfel, Stanfel, editor editor

Mount Olive installs new pastor

PAT student receives certification

Several area pastors participated in the rite of installation.

REGINA - Members and friends of Mount Olive Lutheran Church celebrated the installation of Associate Pastor Rev. Lucas Albrecht in an afternoon service on February 12. District President Rev. Thomas Prachar officiated the Rite of Installation, and several area pastors participated in the service. Rev. Lucas André Albrecht was born in 1975 in Naviraí, MS, Brazil. He married Djenane Hans in 1997 and they have one son, Charles, born on November 10, 2016. Rev. Albrecht is from a family of many pastors including, among others, his father, two brothers and his grand- and great-grandfather on his mother’s side. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, Sao Leopoldo in 1998. He earned a Journalism Bachelors degree in 2011 from The Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), a post-graduate degree in Human Resources (ULBRA) in 2014 and a Bachelor of Theology (ULBRA) in 2015. He acquired a Masters from Concordia Seminary, Sao Leopoldo in 2015.

Ordained in 1999 in Curitiba, Brazil, Rev. Lucas Re v. A l b r e c h t Albrecht s e r ve d Pe a c e Lutheran Church, Campo Bom, RS, Brazil from 1999-2004. He was called to ULBRA in 2004, where he served in different positions: Campus Chaplain and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church - Campus Church planting Canoas, RS, from 20042007; Campus Pastor, Canoas 20082011; Senior Chaplain - Canoas and nationwide, 2012-2015; Campus Pastor and Professor, 2016. Rev. Albrecht plays a number of musical instruments and has composed a number of songs and hymns. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, speaks some Spanish, and has basic German skills. As a journalist, he accumulated experience in communicating the Gospel through different media. He enjoys time with family, reading, connecting with people, and playing sports, specially soccer. He is now eager to get acquainted with hockey and Saskatchewan Roughrider games.

Notice of annual meeting The Annual Meeting of Lutheran Church–Canada Central District will take place Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. at the District Office, 3074 Portage Ave., Winnipeg.

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Oboyo Ochalla poses with Rev. Richard Beinert after being certified to preach and conduct liturgy and preach as part of his PAT training.

WINNIPEG - Student Oboya Ochalla received his certificates on Sunday, February 26 for his completed course work in the PAT (Pastors with Alternate Training) program to the level where he can preach and lead Divine Services. Oboya ministers to a group of Anyuak Christians meeting at his PAT site, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. Visit the Central District website at www.lcccentral.ca Send news, photos, articles and announcements six weeks prior to publication month. Elaine Stanfel, district editor, 509 Airport Road, Pembroke, ON K8A6W7 613-687-6620 elaine.stanfel@gmail.com

Next deadline May 7, 2017

East District News News East District

Ontario, Ontario, Quebec, Quebec, New New Brunswick, Brunswick, Nova Nova Scotia Scotia Ilene Ilene Fortin, Fortin, editor editor

Urban outreach conference offers new ideas MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - On February 11, 45 people from 15 different congregations gathered to discuss outreach efforts in urban centres. Participants were encouraged to speak for 2-3 minutes about their congregation/ministry’s outreach efforts under the categories: small scale, neighbourhood, community service, regional, and social media outreach. After each individual’s presentation, time was given for the group to ask questions and discuss implementing the idea in other contexts. Some of the ideas that were discussed included: • Children’s activities like nursery schools, kids’ clubs, and VBS events at different times of the year and in different locations that would encourage more community participation, • Increasing awareness of your congregation in the community by advertising in places like mass transit and bus stops, via social media, holding church activities in malls, neighbourhood parks, and other public places, • Presenting interactive booths at community festivals and entering a church float in community parades • Finding out the unique needs of your community and developing programs to meet those needs such as food banks, day care, seniors’ services such as social connections and transportation, and ESL. More general topics were also discussed, such as intercultural ministries, the needs of new immigrants and refugees, and understanding the different gifts that introverts and extroverts bring to a congregation’s outreach efforts and the needs and comfort zones of introvert and extrovert visitors. The conference was organized by the Evangelism Board of Christ Our King Lutheran Church in Mississauga, especially David Chant and Mark Verlinden, in cooperation

Shrove Tuesday pancake and sausage supper

Cooking the pancakes: (l-r) John Schilbe (congregation chair), Brian Hamp (elder), Jerry Sabo, and Kevin Ball (elder).

GODERICH, Ont. - Berea-by-theWater Lutheran Church was the only church in Goderich to hold a Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper this year. As a result, members served 208 guests

an all-you-can-eat meal of pancake/ sausage/dessert and beverage. This was a record attendance for the group and they look forward to next year!

with the East District Mission Encourager, Rev. Ron Mohr. The day flew by, filled with much excited discussion and mutual encouragement by each and every participant, both introverts and extroverts! The conference had several encouraging results including: • The decision for groups of congregations to cooperate on at least two projects • Building and sharing a Christmas float to be used by different congregations for parades in different communities. • Looking into advertising inside

buses and other mass transit in East District urban centres. • The decision to develop greater communication among the mission leaders of our congregations through email and/or social media. • The decision to plan a follow-up conference for spring 2017. For more information about this event or to get involved in the group, please contact David Chant (dwchant@sympatico.ca) or download the meeting notes from the LCC East District website.

Heather Ball

Rev. Ron Mohr, East District Mission Encourager

Participants encouraged and inspired by the district’s first Urban Outreach Conference. THE CANADIANLutheran LUTHERAN March/April March/April 2017 The Canadian 2017 25 1

East East District News

Ontario, Ontario, Quebec, Quebec, New New Brunswick, Brunswick, Nova Nova Scotia Scotia Ilene Ilene Fortin, Fortin, editor editor

From the president Pictures of the Resurrection So the other soldiers that Pilate had put in place disciples told him at the tomb. This notation seems to (Thomas), “We have seen the Lord.” have been brought forward by the But he said to them, “Unless I see in evangelist to refute the charge made His hands the mark of the nails, and in his day that the disciples secretly place my finger into the mark of the removed or stole our Lord’s body nails, and place my hand into His from the tomb. Another picture of side, I will never believe.” the Resurrection that highlights the - John 20:25 glory of our Lord Jesus’ Resurrection hrist’s resurrection from the depicts the Roman soldiers resting dead is one of the basic beliefs or lying down around the tomb, of our Christian faith. Christ returned either in attitudes of sleep, or awake to life after suffering and dying and shading their eyes from the on the cross for our sins, and dazzling light that surrounds Christ. remained here on earth until the What is so significant about any Ascension. Since no one actually depiction of our Lord’s Resurrection? saw His resurrection, Christians Perhaps we can best summarize it have relied on the experiences by recalling the event that took of the disciples for confirmation place on Easter Sunday evening. that the event took place. You will recall that by this time Rubens’ “Resurrection of Christ” (1611). If you were an artist, how would some of the disciples had already you paint a picture of the Resurrection? Would you paint seen Christ’s empty tomb. In the Upper Room on a picture of an open tomb in an attempt to symbolize Easter Sunday night, Thomas was being told by the our Lord’s triumph over death? Would you depict Christ other disciples that they had not only seen the empty as being mostly unclothed with only a sheet wrapped tomb, but that they had also seen the Christ, once dead around Him, since only a shroud covered Him in the tomb? but now living, who had occupied the empty tomb. As the women were the first ones to appear at the Joyfully and with gladness of heart these disciples empty tomb, paintings often show the “Noli me tangere” expressed their faith saying, “We have seen the Lord!” (“Don’t touch me”) encounter between Jesus and Mary My point is this: our Resurrection scene need not Magdalene or sometimes a depiction of all three women be limited to an artist’s conception, because Christ has at the sepulcher. Paintings from 14th and 15th century revealed Himself to us very personally in His Word and Italy often show an apparently weightless figure of Christ Sacraments. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in floating in the air, perhaps framed by rays of light which these Means of Grace, we receive into our hearts by give an appearance of the Ascension. The predominant faith all that our Lord and Saviour has done for us in picture of the Resurrection, however, originated in His suffering, dying, and rising again. Our Lord’s empty the later Middle Ages and Renaissance, and shows the tomb fills our emptiness with the fullness of His grace Saviour firmly on the ground, holding the banner of the and peace. That grace and peace that has been given Resurrection with its red cross, either standing upright in to us—we also want others to be blessed with as well. the open sarcophagus or in the act of stepping out of it. I am content! My Jesus ever lives, Following the Council of Trent, which demanded a In whom my heart is pleased. return to scriptural accuracy, the depiction of an open He has fulfilled the law of God for me, tomb and that of a floating figure of Christ was replaced God’s wrath He has appeased. with a depiction of Christ standing before a closed Since He in death could perish never, tomb. In addition, other paintings of the Resurrection I also shall not die forever. focus on the Roman soldiers who were guarding the I am content! I am content! sealed tomb. It was Matthew who, alone among the (LSB 468, stanza 1) four Gospel writers, mentions in his Gospel account the Rev. Paul Zabel

2 The March/April2017 2017 26 THECanadian CANADIAN Lutheran LUTHERAN March/April

East District News News East District

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Ilene Fortin, editor Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Ilene Fortin, editor

Montreal hosts French-speaking youth retreat MONTREAL, Que. - In February, Ascension (LCMS) and L’Ascension (LCC) hosted its second retreat for French-speaking youth. Nothing beats 45 youth and adults gathered around God’s Word, sleeping in the church basement, and driving home in a major winter storm. Praise the Lord for air mattresses! Deb St. Onge was tasked with planning, purchasing, and preparing the meals, and God provided all that was needed—and, as in many Biblical stories, there were even leftovers. Considering organizers had been planning on 30 participants, not the 45 who attended, this was a great blessing. The retreat had help from Rev. David Somers and members of both the English and French congregations. All the participants chipped in as needed. In

addition to Bible study, devotions, worship, and games, there was lots of fun in the snow at M o n t Ro y a l . The kids went tobogganing and skating l a t e S a t u rd ay afternoon and had a wonderful time together. “This is really the only Skating on Mont Royal, Montreal. opportunity for strengthened to be confident and our French-speaking youth to have even bold in the face of a doubting Lutheran fellowship outside of and confusing culture!” worship,” Rev. Charles St. Onge Rev. Charles St. Onge noted. “Please keep these youth in your prayers that they are

Pastor and congregation celebrate 20 years together HARROW, Ont. - On a sunny Sunday morning in February, members and friends of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church celebrated the 20th anniversary of their pastor’s installation. Twenty years earlier on February 9, Rev. Gerhard Maag was installed as the congregation’s eighth pastor. The guest preacher was Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, LCC President. As is the custom in Harrow, he began by reading the text, for those that still appreciate and understand, in German. The sermon theme was “How to Look at Pastors.” He made clear that what Rev. Maag has done all these years is what a pastor is simply called to do—be a faithful servant whose calling is to faithfully preach Law and Gospel and administer the Sacraments. The service included wonderful organ music, including pieces from J. S. Bach and Johann Pachelbel. Rev. Maag’s wife, Liisa, and son, Stephan, accompanied portions of the service with the flute and cello, respectively. Following Bible study immediately after the service the congregation

enjoyed a wonderful meal. For the mealtime prayer, Rev. Maag’s father, Gunther, a former organist himself, played the hymn that was sung as the blessing. The meal was accompanied by Liisa and Stephan playing flute and cello once more.

Once the meal was over, there were a few brief comments by both pastors to the group, after which all gathered upstairs for a picture. David Faerber

Members and guests of Christ Lutheran Church in Harrow gather to celebrate Rev. Gerhard Maag’s 20th anniversary as their shepherd. THE CANADIANLutheran LUTHERAN March/April March/April 2017 The Canadian 2017 27 3

East East District News

Ontario, Ontario, Quebec, Quebec, New New Brunswick, Brunswick, Nova Nova Scotia Scotia Ilene Ilene Fortin, Fortin, editor editor

Berea-by-the-Water celebrates 45 years of worship GODERICH, Ont. - Berea-by-theWater Lutheran Church gathered in celebration of the congregationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 45th anniversary on Sunday, February 5. Among the guests were three of the founding members from 1972: Shirley Keller, June Hayter and Eleanor Crawford, and Rev. Wayne and Pat Geick (previous pastor). The anniversary service was followed by a luncheon. Everyone contributed to the meal and a special cake was made by Marg Bregman. The chimes choir also performed. The organizers thank all who attended and made this day so special. Heather Ball Three founding members (centre front, l-r) Shirley Keller, June Hayter and Eleanor Crawford, are shown with (left) Pat and Rev. Wayne Geick, Rev. John and Elizabeth Trembulak.

Kanata installs new shepherd KANATA, Ont. - Rev. Dr. Jorge Groh and wife Olga were welcomed to Christ Risen Lutheran Church on February 19. The Rite of Installation was performed by East District President Paul Zabel, with the participation of several area pastors. After ordination in 1978, Dr. Groh served several calls in

Argentina before he was called to St. Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ottawa from 2000-2004. He then transferred to LCMS to serve as the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, before moving to Kansas City to direct the Lutheran Urban Mission Agency in that city. Dr. Groh replaces Rev. Louis Natzke who retired in 2016.

Under Construction The East District office is undergoing renovations to meet requirements of the new Ontario Accessibility Act. An entry ramp at the front of the building and a handicap-accessible bathroom on the main floor are expected to be completed by June. The office remains open and operational via entry at the back door.

Visit the East District website at www.lcceastdistrict.ca

Send news, photos, articles and announcements six weeks prior to publication month. Ilene Fortin, district editor East District Office 275 Lawrence Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1Y3 E-mail: ilene@lcceast.ca Fax: 519-578-3369

Larry Eifert, Louis Natzke, Jorge Groh, Paul Williams, Wayne Geick, Deane Detlefson; (back) Revs. Bill Stanfel, John Kiifner, Rick Lockstadt, Bryan King, Harold Ristau, Charles St. Onge.

4 The March/April2017 2017 28 THECanadian CANADIAN Lutheran LUTHERAN March/April

Next deadline: May 7, 2017

Mission Update www.canadianlutheran.ca

Sharing the story of the Reformation in Ukraine

Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko displays some of the books in the SELCU seminary’s library, which is nearing completion.

UKRAINE - Following his attendance at the Eastern European Bishops’ conference (see page 11), Lutheran Church–Canada President Robert Bugbee lectured all day February 24 at the seminary of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU), speaking on Martin Luther’s Reformation for a gathering of 36 pastors and lay leaders. This was at the request of SELCU, as part of their observances of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Before his return to Canada on February 26, President Bugbee preached for the morning service of Rev.

LCC President Bugbee lectures at SELCU’s seminary, while Rev. Alexey Navrotskyy translates.

Oleg Schewtschenko’s congregation in Odessa and attended a voters’ meeting afterward. Odessa church members offered prayers and expressed their concern to the president for Rev. Albert Schmidt of Edmonton, a retired LCC pastor who devoted several years of his retirement to pastoral work and seminary teaching in Ukraine. (Rev. Schmidt died in the Lord later that same day and was laid to rest after funeral services in Edmonton on March 7.) “We can be especially proud of the role played in the Synod there by Pastors Oleg Schewtschenko and

Alexey Navrotskyy, both of whom were brought to Canada in recent years to study at LCC seminaries; Schewtschenko at St. Catharines and Navrotskyy in Edmonton,” President Bugbee explained. “These colleagues show great maturity, leadership gifts, and language translation ability, and we’re so grateful for the willingness of LCC people to offer the financial support that made their Canadian studies possible.” LCC has long been involved in supporting the work of SELCU, especially through theological education and missionary suport.

CLWR executive director to retire CA N A DA - Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) has announced t h e forthcoming retirement o f Ro b e r t Granke, Executive Director of the organization. Marcus Busch, President of the Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) Board of Directors, announced the news in a release March 16. Executive Director Granke will retire effective March 31, 2018. He has been Executive Director since

March 1, 2006. Granke first began his career with CLWR in March of 1977—meaning he had completed 40 years of service at the time his retirement was announced. CLWR President Marcus Busch praised Robert Granke’s long-time service. “Bob has provided exemplary leadership to CLWR and the international community for more than four decades,” he said. “Countless lives have been changed and saved by his service in the name of Canadian Lutherans. We will take time in due course to acknowledge his many contributions to the mission of CLWR. In the meantime, we appreciate your prayers as we seek new leadership to ‘steer the CLWR ship’ into the future.:

Executive Director Granke explained: “There comes a time when change must naturally occur, in an orderly and planned fashion. It has been my mission to make a difference in the lives of people each and every day, and I will continue to be driven to do so during this time of transition.” The CLWR Board of Directors has established a succession planning process that will result in a formal invitation of applications for the position of Executive Director, expected to begin in the second half of 2017. Granke will remain fully engaged as Executive Director until the official transition of leadership occurs in March of 2018.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Education Report www.canadianlutheran.ca

Vicars’ Dinner with the LWMLC ST. CATHARINES, Ontario Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada (LWMLC) hosted its annual vicars’ dinner for students of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) on March 24, 2017. The dinner was held at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Catharines. LWMLC President Iris Barta spoke on the multifaceted work of the women’s missionary league, and presented each vicar with a gift bag of LWMLC materials illustrating the depth of resources the organization provides the Canadian church. CLTS has one regular vicar available for placement this year: Matthew Fenn, a native of Windsor. He will be joined by his wife Laurin, who is studying for a Master of Theological Studies degree at the seminary, along with the rest of their family.

Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger; Terri, Sophia, and Isaac Paik; Matthew and Laurin Fenn; Iris Barta with Isaac Fenn; and Janice Buchner.

The dinner also welcomed colloquy student Rev. Isaac Paik, an ordained Presbyterian minister (originally from Korea), who is in fulltime studies this year in preparation for entering the ministerium of

Lutheran Church–Canada. Rev. Paik and family will experience a minivicarage this summer as part of his colloquy process.

From Megadeth to Megalife In addition to being a long-standing member of the band Megadeth, Ellefson has also studied at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, and is the founder of MEGA Life ministries, a satellite of Shepherd of the Desert Church (a member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) in Scotsdale, Arizona. Ellefson’s talk focused on Martin Luther’s view on music in a Law and

Gospel oriented lecture, drawing on Ellefson’s unique position to discuss Luther’s view of music in relationship to secular art. The event was sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Scholarship and the Christian Faith, along with Faithlife Financial, as part of Reformation 500 commemorations. The lecture was free and open to the public.

Trial and Appellate Counsel – Commercial Litigation Garfinkle | Biderman LLP

EDMONTON - Grammy-awardwinning musician David Ellefson of Megadeth gave a lecture entitled “From Megadeth to Megalife” at Concordia University of Edmonton on March 17, 2017.

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

801-1 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 2V9 Tel 416.869.1234 Fax 416.869.0547 www.garfinkle.com

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Lutheran Foundation Canada REFLECTING GOD’S GRACE

Plan. Make a difference… for your loved ones, and the ministries you value.

2017

“How can I leave a legacy gift for my congregation or ministry, and still be a blessing to my family?” Questions like this are very important. Supporting your church doesn’t have to come at the expense of your family. Lutheran Foundation Canada can help you plan. Who are we? Lutheran Foundation Canada, a financial ministry of Lutheran Church– Canada (LCC), assists Lutheran donors in identifying, establishing and carrying out their charitable wishes towards congregations, auxiliaries and listed service organizations that support the mission and ministry of LCC. This work is an important part of furthering God’s kingdom here on earth, and focuses significantly on our role as Christian stewards in the management and use of all that God has given us.

What do we do? Lutheran Foundation Canada connects Lutheran donors with the ministries of LCC they are passionate about. By encouraging planned giving, we help those who joyously want to share a portion of their blessings for the purposes of building God’s kingdom. We take the responsibility of helping our Church very seriously, by serving LCC members and LCC organizations in the following three areas:

Gift Planning - Helping members resurrection. This gospel message understand and plan out their is so important that it cannot be charitable gift options in life and kept to ourselves. Through the through their estate. work of our Church, we share this Gift Administration - Managing gospel message with others who so and making annual distributions from desperately need to hear it. Much of donor-established endowments, and this work requires financial resources, distributing funds from the sale of and these resources are created donated shares. through great stewardship. Probably Congregation Services - Helping the most significant opportunity for develop Gift Acceptance and great stewardship happens when Use Policies in keeping with a you die. It is at this point you will no congregation’s longer require any mission and ministry. of what God has “... to do good, to be rich blessed you with, and all of what you accumulated in life be generous and willing must be transferred We give to share ... so that they somewhere. Each because God person has three may take hold of life first gave to choices when it us. Throughout that is truly life.” comes to assets; use our Christian 1 Timothy 6:18-19 them, lose them, or upbringing, we share them. The work learn about and of Lutheran Foundation Canada embrace the many gifts our Father is focused on developing plans to has given to us, including the most share these resources, thus creating important gift we can ever receive, scenarios that bless your family and that of eternal life with our Saviour bless the work of the Church. Jesus Christ, through His death and

Why does it matter?

in good deeds, and to

Lutheran Foundation Canada www.lutheranfoundation.ca

God’s generosity is reflected in His faithful stewards Lutheran Foundation Canada reports $50 million in planned gifts Since its inception, Lutheran Foundation Canada has helped and served individuals and families to structure gifts to their favourite ministries in the best way possible. In the past eight years, Lutheran members have allocated over $50 million dollars in planned gifts to support these ministries. Approximately one-third, or about $16.4 million is designated for congregations.

How planned gifts are allocated for use by the donor

“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” 2 Corinthians 9:11

These gifts are a result of the joyful response to God’s love found in the hearts of our LCC community. These gifts include cash, stocks, RSPs/RIFs, life insurance, real estate and personal property given directly or through bequests in a will. Some of these gifts have already come in as God has called His stewards to their heavenly home. Other gifts will come in time.

Lutheran Foundation Canada 3074 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2 1-877-711-GIFT (4438) GIFT PLANNERS ABC District Allen Schellenberg, Exec. Dir. cell: 604-817-7673 allen.schellenberg@ lutheranfoundation.ca Central District David Friesen cell: 204-791-9949 dfriesen@lutheranfoundation.ca East District Alfred Feth cell: 519-572-5510 edgiftcoord@lutheranfoundation.ca 2

For a detailed report each quarter, send a request to gift@lutheranfoundation.ca or visit our website, www.lutheranfoundation.ca.

Why a Congregational Gift Acceptance and Use Policy? What would your congregation do if it received a gift of $20,000, $50,000 or maybe even $100,000? In fact, the Foundation has seen gifts as high as $250,000 or more designated for a congregation. As illustrated in the chart above, fully 1/3 of all planned gifts are going to be received by congregations. Gifts of any size can be a great blessing or a great burden to a congregation, especially if there hasn’t been any thought on how these gifts might be utilized to further their mission and ministry. The Foundation has been helping congregations exemplify great

stewardship by encouraging the development of a Gift Acceptance and Use Policy. Not only does this enable decisions ahead of time as to how significant gifts will be used, it also creates an environment that members feel more confident about supporting. Each congregation is unique in the way it fulfils its mission, while at the same time having other concerns like a mortgage or capital expenses. What a blessing it would be, if before any gifts arrived, your congregation understood and planned how these gifts would further your congregation’s purpose and that of the greater church.

An example of using significant estate gifts to share God’s blessings Area of Need

Approved Target

Range Allowed by Congregation

Local Ministry/Missions District/LCC Missions Mortgage Contingency Fund Seminary Student Aid Operating Budget

30% 10% 40% 10% 10% 0%

10 - 30 % 10 - 30 % 20 - 50 % 0 - 20 % 0 - 15 % 0%

For a sample Congregational Gift Acceptance and Use Policy that you can adapt for your congregation, or a commentary on why such a policy is encouraged, visit the Resource page on the Foundation’s website. www.lutheranfoundation.ca Lutheran Foundation Canada

Using your RSP/RIF to glorify the Lord’s work Planning for your retirement is a wonderful thing, and being able to set aside money to be used in retirement is the primary reason Canadians have been saving money inside their Registered Savings Plan (RSP) for decades. What most people don’t realize, and are often quite shocked by, is that even though all remaining registered money (RSP/ RIF accounts) may be gifted to family, they are still considered income in your final year of life, significantly raising your marginal tax rate. Proper planning and charitable giving will decrease this tax burden while at the same time be an incredible blessing to ministry. If you are married, RSP/RIF accounts may be transferred to your surviving spouse, with little cost and no tax or probate implications when you die. However, any RSP/RIF amounts remaining, when a single person or surviving spouse dies, will be considered income on their final tax return. If your RSP/RIF funds, coupled with other regular income, pension income, capital gains on publicly-traded securities or second properties, raises your income to above $142,000, these assets will be taxed at about 45% (the average marginal tax rate at that income level), which is like giving half your RSP/RIF away to the government. Most people are not too excited about that option. In the case where you don’t have a surviving spouse or have never been married, designating all or part of your RSP/RIF to ministry, like the support of your church, is a wonderful way of saying thanks to God for all He has blessed you with during your life. Doing this has absolutely no impact on your current or future financial situation, but it has a significant impact on what happens in your estate when you

die. Every charitable gift creates a tax credit of approximately 45%, meaning that instead of paying tax on the distribution of your RSP/RIF, that burden is eliminated from whatever portion is donated. A charitable gift can offset 100% of your taxable income in the year you die and up to 100% of your taxable income

in the year previous to your death. The charts below show how even a significant gift has only a marginal impact on the amount remaining for family. What’s most important, is you designate which organizations will benefit from your estate, rather than the government allocating tax dollars you otherwise would have paid.

How charitable gifts reduce taxes Estate without a gift

Mrs. Smith has a $500,000 estate including $150,000 in taxable assets. Without a charitable gift the CRA gets $67,500 and her family shares $432,500 less probate and other costs.

Estate with a 10% gift

Mrs. Smith decides to leave 10% of her estate to her church. This results in a $50,000 gift to ministry reducing what the CRA gets by $22,500. Her family still gets to share $405,000 less probate fees which vary dramatically from province to province.

Lutheran Foundation Canada www.lutheranfoundation.ca

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is “Planned Giving”? “Planned Giving” means mapping out a plan for making a gift to a charitable organization. A caring person integrates planned giving into his or her financial strategies during different stages of life. Planned giving enables a donor to thank God for all of the blessings they have received, and strategically develop gifts that benefit both the estate and the church. Planned giving takes on many forms, and is tailored to meet the needs and goals of the donor. Each person’s giving desires make each gift unique and important regardless of size. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12)

cottage or rental property. In fact, many donors use the Foundation's brokerage services to donate publicly-traded securities, which we then sell on their behalf and forward the funds as directed by the donor. The donor pays no capital gains and receives a receipt for the full value of the shares. Lifetime gifts may be particularly appealing for those with no remaining heirs, providing they have sufficient funds to care for their future needs, as it allows them to see the benefit of their gift.

4. Does every LCC organization I wish to support need to be listed in my will? Although that's one way to do it, it's probably not the most efficient. Many donors chose to leave one gift to the Foundation, then use our Gift Allocation Agreement to outline exactly how their gift should be disbursed once 2. Shouldn't all my wealth go to my children? it's received by us. This provides a number of benefits We read from 1 Timothy 5:8 - “If anyone does not to the donor and the estate executor. Firstly, as only the provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate Foundation's name is in the will, we're the only one to family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an receive a copy of the will—thereby unbeliever.” The context of this passage keeping your estate information more is to provide for the needs of our “For if the willingness is private. And if you change your mind children, not necessarily for their wants. there, the gift is acceptable about which beneficiary organizations Although the bulk of your estate is likely to support, or the portion allocated to according to what one has, to go to your heirs, the Foundation each organization, this change is easily encourages you to consider the needs not according to what one done by signing a new agreement with of each individual family member, does not have.” us, at no cost to the donor. We also structuring your estate to maximize the 2 Corinthians 8:12 make sure each organization is listed benefit to each one. Although dividing as registered with Canada Revenue, an estate equally is most common, for eliminating legal issues that often arise for the executor. some families, care must be taken to not give too much Lastly, the executor only has to communicate with one entity money too quickly. For family members with addictive behaviours, or handicapped, funds may have to be placed rather than a number of organizations, making this task easier to manage. into a trust fund to ensure their inheritance is used wisely. We also believe that leaving a gift to ministry is 5. I have a life insurance policy I don't need. Can I another way of leaving a gift for your children or grandgift that? children. Many ministries within the church either support Yes. The donation of Whole Life, Universal Life, or children directly, or provide staff and facilities that are Term 100 insurance policies is one of the easiest ways beneficial to children. Your gift may be just the help that is to establish a charitable gift. It doesn’t require a change needed by these ministries, to keep them vibrant and alive, to your will at all—simply change the beneficiary of the so your children or children's children may benefit. policy to a charity's name. The proceeds of the policy get paid directly to the charity upon your death and are 3. Can I make a charitable gift during my lifetime? not held up in probate or estate settlement. Your estate Absolutely. For some, the idea of waiting until they die will receive a charitable receipt based on the amount to leave a gift isn’t something they get excited about. You received. You can also make the charity both the owner may want to see your gift in action. You may not require and beneficiary of the policy, whereby you may receive the assets you are about to gift, and realize it is more an immediate tax benefit and annual receipts for any beneficial to give today than when after you die. This remaining premium payments. Even if you don’t have a would also allow you to take advantage of the additional life insurance policy, purchasing one may be the most cost tax benefits available, while you are alive, especially if effective and appropriate way to establish your gift. you are about to sell a significant asset like farm land, a 4

www.lutheranfoundation.ca Lutheran Foundation Canada

In Review: The Shack

ccasionally a product hits wise/wisecracking black woman childhood in which he was abused by the market after interest has happy to be called Papa. Mackenzie his father. This all happens in a sort of peaked and people have moved likewise interacts with a sensitive bubble where the ramshackle snowon. Stuart Hazeldine’s film adaption Asian woman and gardener, Sarayu, covered shack is transformed into a of the popular 2007 novel The Shack who is intended to be the Holy Spirit. summertime paradise complete with by Canadian author William P. Young These women are overly affectionate an idyllic lake, down comforters, and may be this kind of product. The and emotional. Along with Jesus, they home-cooked meals served by God. opening weekend box office for the are fixated on “relationship” over and Sadly, what viewers receive in The film garnered only $16 million US— against anything resembling religion; Shack is not a faithful depiction of the low for a film based on a book which Jesus claims to be disinterested in God of Scripture. It is not the Trinity sold more than 10 million copies. Had people being Christian at all. The of the Bible: “one God in Trinity and the film come out in 2008 it might have Jesus of The Shack is only interested in Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the done well; in 2017, it seems set to fizzle people having a relationship with Papa persons nor dividing the substance,” not sizzle—and that’s for the best. and that relationship is of a certain as confessed by Christians in the Why? From its publication, The kind: a sort of endearing intimate Athanasian Creed. Shack has come under legitimate relationship often talked about in Nor does The Shack adequately theological fire. Sadly, the film Pop American Christianity, short on present the incarnation of Christ as does nothing reverence or awe, to change the and capitalizing on story’s significant society’s emphasis problems of on intimacy in all theology. relationships. The Shack If a discerning is the story of a Christian compares man, Mackenzie the intimate “Mack” Phillips, relationship grieving the loss M a c ke n z i e h a s of his kidnapped with God in and murdered The Shack to the youngest daughter rather impersonal Missy. Although one Job has with investigators found God amidst his the crime scene, own sufferings, the girl’s body was the difference never recovered. quickly appears. Later, Mackenzie In Scripture, God’s receives a note in love for people Mackenzie Phillips (Sam Worthington—second from left) along with the The Shack‘s depiction his mailbox inviting of the Trinity: Jesus (Aviv Alush–left), Papa (Octavia Spencer—second from right), and Sarayu doesn’t require him to make a (Sumire Matsubara–right). touchy-feely weekend visit to the s e n t i m e n t a l i t y. shack where Missy was murdered. The Ultimately, it requires Christ’s willing found in the Apostles’ Creed—where note is signed “Papa”— his wife Nan’s sacrificial death in the place of the Jesus is confessed by Christians to nickname for God. Could it really be sinner for the atonement of sin—a be “conceived by the Holy Spirit God? Might it be the murderer trying death which brings reconciliation and born of the Virgin Mary.” Here to lure Mackenzie to the scene of the between God and humanity. In the Christ, as God incarnate, is confessed crime? Is it just a sick joke? Bible, this is the purpose of Jesus’ to be distinctly different from God the Despite a snowstorm, Mackenzie incarnation and birth, the reason the Father and Holy Spirit—something “borrows” his neighbour’s truck and Word became flesh. The Shack confuses. It’s not enough to drives to the shack. Initially he finds The physical portrayal of God the have an ethnically-accurate, walkingnothing but traces of his daughter’s Father and the Holy Spirit as women on-water, wood-working Jesus. If murder, which leave him distraught. muddies what Scripture faithfully God the Father and the Holy Spirit After nearly attempting suicide, he teaches about God. But the problem is are depicted incorrectly, and if the has an unorthodox interaction with deeper than Young’s desire to simply Incarnation is presented incorrectly, God. What follows is personal grief overturn the predominate expressions then more error inevitably follows. counselling from God as Mackenzie of God in Scripture. Papa claims she In the book and film, deals with his daughter’s death, the appears to Mackenzie as a woman Mackenzie interacts with a physical problem of evil, and his own troubled because of his poor relationship with representation of God the Father—a THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

In Review (cont.) his earthly father who beat him as a child. Later, Papa reappears as a Native American man because Mackenzie needed Papa to be a man when he’s led to his daughters missing body. Since The Shack’s God changes forms, changes masks, to suit the situation at hand, the film actually adopts an ancient heresy on the doctrine of the Trinity: the third century heresy called modalism. This heresy teaches that there is one God who presents Himself in three different modes, rather than the idea that God exists in three distinct persons. This false teaching becomes abundantly clear in a conversation Mackenzie has with Papa where he accuses God of being bad at sticking close to people in their time of greatest need. When Mackenzie points out that at the cross Jesus asked “My God, my God why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Papa responds, “You misunderstand the mystery.” Papa then shows him nail wounds from the crucifixion saying that she (God the Father) never left Jesus at the cross and that they were “there together,” and that it cost them “both dearly.” Sarayu, the Holy Spirit character, is later seen with the same crucifixion wounds. This exaggeration of the oneness of God is the old heresy of modalism. The Shack is trying to show how much God cares for Mackenzie’s suffering, but in doing so it undermines the Incarnation itself. Scripture teaches us that, in the Incarnation, God cares so much about human suffering He actually becomes one of us—to suffer and die in our place. But it is God the Son—not God the Father or God the Holy Spirit—who is incarnated. The Shack merges these persons together in the most visual way possible, implying strongly that Mackenzie is not interacting with a God who is three distinct persons, equal in glory, and coeternal in majesty within the Godhead. In the biblical understanding of God, only Christ bears the wounds of crucifixion—emblems of His great sacrifice (John 20:19-31). Why is this important? Students of Luther’s Small Catechism will recall a section called “Christian

Questions with their Answers.” It’s a series of questions prepared by Luther for those who intend to go to the Sacrament of the Altar. Question 8 asks: “How many Gods are there?” The answer is: “Only one, but there are three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Question 9 asks: “What has Christ done for you that you trust in Him?” The answer is: “He died for me and shed His blood for me on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.” Then question 10, a very important question as it pertains to this part of the film, asks: “Did the Father also die for you?” The answer is: “He did not. The Father is God only, as is the Holy Spirit; but the Son is both true God and true man. He died for me and shed His blood for me.” As soon as Papa is depicted with crucifixion wounds, The Shack fails to be a Christian story and embraces the ancient heresy of modalism—an unfaithful depiction of the Holy Trinity and by extension a denial of the incarnation of Christ Jesus as taught in Scripture. The god of The Shack is not the Christian God of Scripture. The film includes many other theological problems, which there isn’t room to discuss here. But the fundamental misunderstanding of God gets right to the heart of the problem. This is not a Christian film: it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, wrapped in wholesome family values, and with a high regard for marriage and parenthood. Mackenzie’s interactions with the god of the The Shack are permeated with the sort of moralistic therapeutic deism which passes as Christianity for many people today. It’s a system of belief which stresses that God simply wants people to be nice to each other in the way most world religions and the Bible are presumed to teach, and that the main goal of life is to be happy and feel good about oneself. The whole film becomes a sleightof-hand which pays lip service to grief and suffering while emptying the cross of Jesus’ true sacrifice for sin, sidestepping the promise of the resurrection and the believer’s hope

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

that rests in Christ alone. Viewers should be careful: the story is a confused and disjointed mixing of truth and falsehood. Even as a work of fiction it is not worth defending. Yet some might ask? “Can’t terrible stories make for good films?” The answer? The Shack is not a good film. It’s B-grade at best, and with an unsatisfying ending. While heading home from his weekend in the shack, Mackenzie ends up in a major accident. He awakes in the hospital only to be told that the accident happened on his way to the shack and that he spent the whole weekend in the hospital. Did any of his divine interactions really happen? Was it all a dream? Did Papa lead him to his daughter’s missing body? Did he bury her in a coffin handmade by Jesus the carpenter? Or did it all just happen in his head? This is the worst kind of film ending and differs from the book’s conclusion where there is a concrete resolution concerning the missing body—something that leads to the real-world capture and prosecution of the killer. In the film no time is spent resolving any of this. Rather, Mackenzie puts his grief behind him and lives a happy life with his family, almost as if nothing bad had ever happened. Feel free to skip The Shack. All you’ll find is a heretical wolf in sheep’s clothing— modalism. And it’s a wolf that will bite anyone who takes their eyes off it for even a moment. Rev. Ted Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church (Regina, Saskatchewan). He is a contributor to Reformation Rush Hour on KFUO AM Radio, The Canadian Lutheran, and the LCMS Reporter, as well as movie reviewer for the “Issues, Etc.” radio program.

Movie Night! Take your family’s movie nights to the next level. The Canadian Lutheran publishes regular movie reviews by Rev. Ted Giese at www. canadianlutheran.ca.

Partnering with you in HIS mission

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Who of us wouldn’t appreciate a do-over or two when looking back at life and the consequences of some of our actions? This study looks at the real stories of four people – see how God’s love in Christ brought forgiveness and restoration to their anguished pasts. (69E31)

The Journey from Unbelief to Faith

This 4-session study looks at the lives of four individuals who traveled from the outer-edge of unbelief and apathy to the Christ-centred faith they now embrace. Hosted by Rev. Dr. John Nunes. (69E33). Studies are suitable for group or individual use. View them at no charge online www.lhm.org/ studies or purchase DVD sets from LLL Canada at 1-800-555-6236 or e-mail info@LLL.ca

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Transitions

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LCC’s Mission Work

Classified space is sold at $0.45 per word, minimum 50 words ($22.50).

Fo r i n f o r m a t i o n o n LCC’s missions, visit L u t h e ra n C h u rc h . c a . You can support LCC’s missions through online giving, or by sending donations by mail:

The Canadian Lutheran sells advertising space to help offset the cost of printing and shipping the magazine to congregations and subscribers.

To purchase classified space, or to receive a rate card for other advertising opportunities with The Canadian Lutheran, please email pres_sec@ lutheranchurch.ca or call 1-800-588-4226.

Lutheran Church– Canada 3074 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2

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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

•

LIVING CHRISTIAN VALUES

•

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

History of the Reformation

The Excommunication by Mathew Block

hat began in 1517 as a theological argument over the nature of indulgences quickly kindled to far greater flame. By July 1519, Luther was publicly denying at the Leipzig Debate that the pope (or councils, for that matter) had authority to create new doctrines of faith. Scripture alone, he argued, had that power. He was also defending Jan Huss, who had been burned at the stake in 1415 as a heretic for denying the primacy of the pope, among other supposed errors. This was enough for John Eck— Luther’s opponent at the debate in Leipzig—to declare Luther a heretic too and agitate for his excommunication. To that end, Eck made his way to Rome to join a papal committee charged with examining Luther’s writings. While some on the committee—Cardinal Cajetan, for example—encouraged a careful point-by-point analysis and response to Luther’s works, Eck favoured a simpler approach: condemn Luther’s works as a whole, without bothering to respond to his arguments. Eck’s approach won out. Fortyone theological points by Luther were identified as “heretical, false, scandalous, or offensive to pious ears, as seductive of simple minds.” Which were “heresy” and which were merely “offensive” were not identified— perhaps even the committee members themselves could not agree. But they were all nevertheless included in a bull issued by Pope Leo X which threatened Martin Luther with excommunication. “By the authority of almighty God, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own authority, we condemn, reprobate, and reject completely each of these theses or errors,” Leo X wrote. “Moreover,” he continued, “because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the writings of Martin Luther, we

likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin.” Everything Luther wrote was to be collected and consigned to the flames. Luther himself was to be given sixty days upon receiving the bull to recant or suffer excommunication. The bull was promulgated on June 15, 1520, but it would be October 10 before Luther himself would see it. In the meantime, Luther continued

Luther burns the papal bull. (Detail from 1872 painting by Paul Thumann).

preaching, teaching, and writing. And the things he wrote now were far more critical of the Roman church than anything to date. His influential treatise The Babylonian Captivity of the Church is particularly caustic. Here Luther blasts the Roman church for misunderstanding the nature (and number) of the sacraments, and in so doing effectively holding the sacraments hostage from the people. The way in which the sacraments were conducted in the Roman church tended to encourage the recipient to rely on their own merit or works, he argues. But the sacraments were actually given by God with the promise of mercy, to be received by faith.

It is not mere anger which leads Luther here to publicly and explicitly connect the Roman church with the spirit of antichrist. “Unless they will abolish their laws and ordinances, and restore to Christ’s churches their liberty and have it taught among them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this miserable captivity, and the papacy is truly the kingdom of Babylon and of the very Antichrist.” Luther isn’t exactly calling Pope Leo X himself the Antichrist—at least not in the sense people today regularly associate with the term. But he is asserting that the office of the papacy was acting contrary to the will of Christ. That’s what the word antichrist literally means: “against Christ.” While Luther wrote, the papal bull spread throughout Europe. And true to the pope’s command, the works of Luther began to be burned. In October 1520, the city of Leuven burned eighty copies of Luther’s works. A subsequent burning took place in Cologne on November 12, and another in Mainz on November 29. More book burnings would occur in the months and years to come. It was not merely Luther’s writing in danger of being burned, of course. Censure as a heretic was a death sentence. The papal bull itself hints at this: one of the ideas for which Luther is condemned is his statement that burning heretics is contrary to the will of God. The implication is clear: recant or face death. But Luther could not recant. Many of the things for which he was being censured—the teachings for which he was being condemned—were clearly taught in the Scriptures. They were, in short, the Word of God. To deny them would be to deny Christ. That in itself would be antichrist. “This bull condemns Christ Himself,” Luther laments in a private letter a day after receiving the papal

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Some of Luther’s words according to Roland Bainton’s translations in Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950).

History (cont.) bull. “Now I am certain that the pope is Antichrist.” He would say the same publicly. “Whoever wrote this bull, he is Antichrist,” Luther asserts in a quickly written tract. Even now he is not quite willing to believe it was the pope, and not John Eck, who had written the bull. Regardless, he declares himself ready in the power of Christ to resist the antichristian message it carried. “You then, Leo X, you cardinals, and the rest of you at Rome, I tell you to your faces,” he writes. “If this bull has come out in your name, then I will use the power which has been given me in baptism whereby I became a son of God and co-heir with Christ, established upon the rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. I call upon you to renounce your diabolical blasphemy and audacious impiety, and if you will not, we shall all hold your seat as possessed and oppressed by Satan, the damned seat of Antichrist.” A gentler response to Pope Leo X came a few weeks later as a preface to a new tract On the Freedom of a Christian Man. But even here Luther denies the authority which the pope declared his by divine right. “They err,” Luther writes, “who put you [the pope] above a council and the universal church. They err who make you the sole interpreter of Scripture.” Sixty days after receiving the papal bull, Luther made his ultimate response. On December 10, 1520 Luther—joined by faculty and students of the University of Wittenberg— assembled outside for a bonfire of his own. There Luther threw the bull to the flames, while others added books of canon law and other works which had obscured the Gospel of Christ. Luther explained himself simply: “Since they have burned my books, I burn theirs.” Pope Leo X retaliated by officially excommunicating Luther on January 3, 1521. The fires of the Reformation were set to engulf the whole word. Mathew Block is communications manager of Lutheran Church–Canada and editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine.

About the Cover

he theme for this second piece of artwork commemorating the Reformation is the excommunication of Luther and the burning of the papal bull. The 1520 decree of the pope Exsurge Domine (“Arise, O Lord”) denounced Luther as a heretic, based on his propositions from the 95 Theses and other writings. His excommunication came the following year, after he refused to recant—indeed, he intensified his positions—and publicly burned the papal bull. This was a crucial moment in Reformation history. P r e v i o u s l y, Luther had believed that the extent of the abuses of the indulgence sellers was a problem relatively u n k n ow n t o the pope. Now he knew the extent of the corruption; now his real defiance began in earnest. As with the posting of the 95 Theses, there is a very common visual that is associated with this scene: it’s a rabble-rousing Luther, well outside the church, flouting the authorities with hostile gestures. In this case, the zeal and gesture were genuine, but I think it is helpful to consider the event in light of Luther as the conservative reformer he was, not as a radical and eager defector. In this painting, I was interested in portraying Luther as a confessor of the faith still operating firmly and purposefully within the church. The occasion of his burning of the bull and subsequent excommunication is viewed here in light of its theological

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

significance and personal meaning for Luther himself, rather than as a visual documentation of a moment. The papal document, garnished with Leo X’s official seal, burns on the table in the foreground. Luther himself is identified by his own rose seal, which he designed to reflect his teachings and which has subsequently become the bestknown symbol of Lutheranism. His hand points to words from Psalm 27, which are words of comfort in the face of persecution—particularly the following: “For my father and my mother have forsaken m e, b u t t h e Lord will take me in” (verse 10 ) . “ Fa t h e r and mother” in this context bring to mind the pope and the corruption of the Roman institution. For Luther, these had forsaken him in that they had opposed the words of Christ. The words Exsurge Domine may have been taken from the Psalms, but they nonetheless become a mockery of the words and promises of God. Luther has the assurance, however, of God being his refuge, and the baptismal window in the background is a reminder of the sign and seal which is stronger and more efficacious than the pope’s. In Baptism, the Father has received us and taken us in for the sake of Christ, despite all the assaults of the devil. Kelly Klages is a writer and artist living in Morden, Manitoba. Download this artwork as a poster at www.reformation2017.ca

Book of Concord Readings

Faith Unyielding

arly Lutherans called for a free council of the church where the theological divisions of the day might be addressed. The Smalcald Articles, written by Luther, were drafted in anticipation of just such a council. Whatever else might be up for debate, however, Luther was clear that the doctrine of justification was not: “Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls.” You can catch up on previous readings for the Book of Concord online at www.canadianlutheran.ca/ book-of-concord-reading-plan/. To learn more about the Reformation, visit www.reformation2017.ca.

“We conclude that nothing more agreeable could happen or should be sought more eagerly and prayerfully from almighty God than [that] our churches and our schools should persevere in the pure doctrine of God’s Word and in that longed-for and godly oneness of mind.” - Preface to the Book of Concord

WEEK 28 Apology  Mon 34–43  Tues 44–57  Wed 58–70  Thurs 71–83  Fri 84–92

WEEK 31 Smalcald Articles  Mon Part I–Part II I 5  Tues II 1–15  Wed 16–III 2  Thurs IV 1–16  Fri Part III I–II 5

WEEK 34 The Power and Primacy of the Pope  Mon 54–71  Tues 72–82 Preface to the Book of Concord  Wed 1–6  Thurs 7–16  Fri 17–20

WEEK 29 Apology  Mon 93–99  Tues XXVII 1–12  Wed 13–23  Thurs 24–33  Fri 34–44

WEEK 32 Smalcald Articles  Mon III 1–14  Tues 15–26  Wed 27–40  Thurs 41–VI 5  Fri VII 1–VIII 13

WEEK 35 Preface to the Book of Concord  Mon 21–25 Formula of Concord: Epitome  Tues Summary, 1–I 10  Wed 11–25  Thurs II 1–15  Fri 16–III 11

WEEK 30 Apology  Mon 45–57  Tues 58–69  Wed XXVIII 1–11  Thurs 12–27 Smalcald Articles  Fri Preface 1–15

WEEK 33 Smalcald Articles  Mon IX–XV 5 The Power and Primacy of the Pope  Tues 1–11  Wed 12–24  Thurs 25–38  Fri 39–53

WEEK 36 Formula of Concord: Epitome  Mon 12–IV 15  Tues 16–V 11  Wed VI 1–VII 5  Thurs 6–20  Fri 21–42

Readings for the above plan are from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions - A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord © 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used with permission. All rights reserved. To purchase this resource or other Lutheran resources, please visit CPH at www.cph.org. THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

Presidential Perspective

President Robert Bugbee

Luther’s Reformation: Yes, We Are Celebrating

own the years people have remembered Luther’s Reformation in countless ways. In some places, Lutheran Christians emphasized the virtues of Luther and his co-workers in a way that almost made it seem like we are “better people” than folks on the other side of the dispute. As a seminary student decades ago, I visited Luther sites in communist East Germany where official government tour-guides stressed how Luther—the “little guy”—stood up to corrupt powerstructures of his time. They made him sound like the original Marxist, if I can put it that way. Still others extol Luther’s decision to follow his own conscience rather than to comply with the demands of the authorities. In other words, he stressed the rights of the individual. Oddly enough, these voices often muffle the fact that Luther did not consider his conscience to be the ultimate authority, but stressed the importance of conscience “held captive to the Word of God”... a very different concept indeed! As we move toward the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation in October, there are significant voices in the Lutheran world making quite a point of the idea that they are “commemorating” this Reformation anniversary, not “celebrating” it. They find it hard to celebrate an historical event which broke up the church, causing the rupture between Protestants and Catholics that is still part of the Christian landscape. This is certainly understandable in part: none of us can take pleasure over the divisions in Christendom. We understand these divisions sometimes

make it more difficult for people to take Christ and His Gospel seriously. And we must not abuse this anniversary as if the Reformation proves that we who confess the Gospel, as Luther did, are somehow better than other people. Perish the thought! Despite these understandable concerns, we do have reason to celebrate! Why do I say that? Here’s why: when all is said and done, the Reformation was not primarily about the “splitting up” of the Christian church. Yes, that was one of the sad consequences of the Reformation era, but those who study Luther know well that he did not set out to break up the church. The heart of the Reformation was that Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, was once again placed front and centre so that ordinary people could come to know and trust Him. The Good News of Christ, crucified in your place, raised to life to open the kingdom of heaven, and offering the free forgiveness of sins to people everywhere, had been marred and muffled for centuries. Luther’s Reformation sought to restore this Good News to the world. He did it through a Bible translated into the language of common people. He did it by encouraging preaching which placed God’s forgiving love in Christ at the centre of the services of the church. That was the real goal. Yes, this was resisted by the power structures of establishment Christianity at that time. And, yes, it did lead to a rupture, one which is still with us to this day. When the Good News of Christ is brought to people, that’s always

THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April 2017

something to celebrate. The Christmas angel made that clear: “I bring you Good News of the great joy which will be for all the people. Today in David’s Town a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). Years later the apostle Paul told his friends, “The important thing is that in every way... Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:18). He knew very well that those who preach Jesus have their weaknesses and are far from perfect. But when Christ the Saviour was proclaimed, it made him glad. He felt like celebrating! The New Testament lifts the curtain, so to speak, and gives you a peek into the celebration that goes on before God in the life that never ends. The company of heaven sings to Jesus, “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...” And creatures everywhere in heaven and earth join in, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:9, 13). In a world that is so full of discord and pain, brokenness and disappointment, we have every good reason to celebrate the one great wonder that towers over all others; that God’s own dear Son, the Holiest of men, was willing to come into our world, to take our punishment, and to offer us His pardon out of undeserved love. At its heart, that’s what Luther’s Reformation was all about. And this Christ and His Good News are always a reason to celebrate!

In 1517, a young professor posted a list of concerns about abuses in the church. And the world changed.

Rediscover the heart of the Reformation. www.reformation2017.ca

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